“Easter eggs” are placed in stories for readers to find. They include things like messages, jokes or puzzles that authors hide within the passages.
If you have a favorite series, it’s likely that the author has placed something there for the reader to discover. But this isn’t only for series. In the novel, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, author Silvia Moreno-Garcia has included what I believe is an Easter egg.
One of the main characters is named after an actor who starred in the movie version of the book, The Island of Doctor Moreau. Being a fan of classic movies, I caught it right away. (As far as I know, the author hasn’t mentioned that it was intentional – but I like to think it was.)
In Blood Red Moon, (book one of my romantic fantasy series, Worlds of Fire) most of the action happens on an alternate Earth that Avani and Derek enter through a portal. Portals are created when phoenix shifters have a transformation. These portals connect different worlds that can be travelled if one has a portal key.
The Alchemists, who dwell on the Floating World (a place between all the portals) claim to have given the phoenixes this ability. But since this is book one, I will be sharing more details about that as the series progresses.
Worlds of Fire: Metamorphosis
In book two, my novella Metamorphosis (which was included in the Pets in Space 6 science fiction romance anthology in a shorter version) includes two Easter eggs. The story starts on the Floating World and goes into detail about the Alchemists and their culture. There’s also a reference to the phoenix shifters – though I can’t say more without sharing a spoiler! Readers of Blood Red Moon and Metamorphosis will see the connection.
Book three, Metal & Ash (coming soon) also includes Easter eggs relating to characters mentioned in Blood Red Moon and Metamorphosis.
These novellas are not continuation of the same story. They have different locations and characters. But since there is an overall theme, I’m including references between the books.
Some Easter eggs may be more obvious than others, but they’re a way for readers to feel they’re reading about familiar worlds and are also part of the worldbuilding.
You could say it’s a communication between the author and the reader. We enjoy including these mentions and as a reader, I feel as though I’m getting a “secret” message from the author when I find them.
A version of this post originally appeared on Sybrina’s Book Blog.
Read more about the Worlds of Fire series.