Author surrogate
As a literary technique, an author surrogate is a fictional character based on the author.[1] On occasion, authors insert themselves under their own name into their works, typically for humorous or surrealistic effect.
Usage
Examples
British writer David Hume used the author-surrogate 'Philo' in the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion. Michael Crichton used his character Ian Malcolm to express views on catastrophic system failure in his novel Jurassic Park.
Fan fiction
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Author surrogacy is a frequently observed phenomenon in hobbyist and amateur writing, so much so that fan fiction critics have evolved the term Mary Sue to refer to an idealized author surrogate.[2] The term 'Mary Sue' is thought to evoke the cliché of the adolescent author who uses writing as a vehicle for the indulgence of self-idealization rather than entertaining others.[citation needed] For male author surrogates, similar names such as 'Marty Stu' or 'Gary Stu' are occasionally used.[3][4]
Other uses
The expression has also been used in a different sense, meaning the principal author of a multi-author document. [1]
