Writing a novel is hard work. But it’s also fun work—or at least, it’s supposed to be.
To keep it fun, I played a little game with myself as I was writing my first novel, Swinging for Power. I decided to see how many 80s band names and musicians I could sneak into the text.
And now, my little game has become an Easter egg hunt for readers.
Why 80s bands? I’ve always been a big fan of the music from that decade, and I decided to make it a character trait in my novel’s hero, former investigative reporter turned private detective Parker Hanson, as well.
But as I was writing, I realized that I’d also referred to a number of 80s band names in a non-musical context within the text.
For instance, Parker Hanson is recovering from heart surgery in the novel. As a detective, he’s often interacting with the police.
That got me thinking … How many 80s bands and solo artists could I deliberately embed within the text?
In some cases, I’ve mentioned bands and artists explicitly in context by referring to their work. In other cases, like the examples above, I’ve used their names in a non-musical context.
Some of the references involve wordplay, like stretching across two or more lines of text. Still others are homonyms of band names, like the phrase “you, too” for U2.
I’ve tried to mention these artists in a way that appears natural in the text, without seeming jarring or out of place.
On a few occasions, I even made intentional choices about plot points or character names just to slip in a few more 80s band references … like having Parker visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Sometimes, I got lucky. For instance, I was trying to figure out a way to mention Berlin, whose song “Take My Breath Away” elevated the quintessentially 80s movie Top Gun.
I thought maybe I could send Parker on an errand down the Berlin Turnpike in Connecticut on the way to New York City, and I was struggling to think of a reason.
Then, in researching where the New Hampshire State Prison for men was located, I made a serendipitous discovery: It’s in a town called Berlin.
How many of you—if any—caught onto what I was up to? If you did, give yourself a huge pat on the back.
And if not, now’s the time to go back through the novel and see how many of these Easter eggs you can find.
The rules are simple: Any band or solo artist who released an album or single from 1980 through 1989 qualifies. That includes artists who are more closely associated with other decades, such as the 1960s, 70s, or 90s.
I know of at least a hundred references to 80s musical acts in the text. Who knows—there might be more I’m not aware of.
How many can you find?
If you’d like to compare notes, feel free to contact me. I’m happy to drop hints or let you know which ones you might be missing.
And if you haven’t read Swinging for Power yet, it’s available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited, where it's free of charge to KU subscribers.
Check it out to see how many references to 80s bands you can find.
Happy hunting!
(P.S.: In Cross Checking, book two of my series, Parker is going through a phase in which he’s obsessively listening to 90s music. After reading this blog post, I hope you know what that means in terms of the book’s text…)