In a week or so Michael Gruber’s new thriller, Tropic of Night, is going to arrive in bookstores. It’s supposed to be a big book—huge press, lavish praise from the usual suspects like Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, Book of the Month selection. I haven’t read it, so I can’t tell you whether I think all the hype is warranted. When I get it I’ll report back.

No, the part I find interesting is that this is not Gruber’s first book, it’s just the first under his own name. (I happen to know this for the same reason Brian Dear does; we’re both on the Well, as is Gruber.) For years he has been writing legal thrillers for Robert K. Tanenbaum. I haven’t read any of those, either, but they’re supposed to be quite good. Evidently some readers guessed that Michael Gruber had quite a lot to do with them, because the acknowledgements page always said something like, “Thanks to Michael Gruber, without whom this book wouldn’t exist.” Which was, apparently, literally true. Gruber wrote all the novels, stem to stern, by himself, without editorial input or outlines or other interference from Tanenbaum. (Although evidently on the last few books Tanenbaum changed the policy of allowing Gruber to ship the manuscript to the editor, taking it first himself and probably having it retyped so as to appear it originated with him.)

Anyhow, a couple of years ago Tanenbaum quit being a lawyer to be a writer full-time. But he wasn’t writing the books. He’s also given interviews about what it’s like to be a successful novelist.

My question: what kind of cognitive dissonance that does cause? To have a public image completely based on a lie? I know that I have a hard enough time with Impostor Syndrome without actually, you know, being an impostor. Or do you figure that since your reputation as a great trial lawyer (which Tanenbaum was) is the reason for the book series and probably for the success of the books (at least initially), that it’s okay and you really are an “author”? I don’t know, I don’t pretend to know. I wonder, that’s all.

Yes, I know Tom Clancy doesn’t write his books either. And Steve “I’m smarter than you, I’m smarter than everyone!” Allen didn’t write his mysteries either. Any other impostors?