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Well, the YKTTW that created it
intended it to be just for books.
The problem I have with it is that it means something completely different if a writer wrote one book and died, or wrote thousands and thousands of poems and short stories, but only one novel. The trope makes no distinction.
We're not just men of science, we're men of TROPE!
Why is that distinction important?
Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.
Gentleman Troper!
How is this different from One-Hit Wonder? I thought we don't split tropes by medium without a very good reason.
Rhetorical, eh? ... Eight!
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Harper Lee is a One-Book Author, the idea that resembles One-Hit Wonder. Edgar Allan Poe is a prolific poet and author who happened to only write one novel, because he preferred shorter works. Why are they on the same list?
One-Hit Wonder is always going to be used in music first; it probably shouldn't have non-music examples at all unless they make an allusion to the popular music concept of a One-Hit Wonder. One-Hit Wonder is not the same as what One-Book Author covers. The Sex Pistols are definitely not a One-Hit Wonder, yet they only released one album.
Renaming One-Book Author to One Work Wonder and writing it more clearly will probably clarify the overlap. One-Book Author wasn't written with this purpose, but it accrued a lot of examples by filling the missing trope of One Work Wonder.
edited 27th Apr '12 9:14:51 PM by Treblain
We're not just men of science, we're men of TROPE!It is possible that One-Hit Wonder should be expanded to include other media, but it's importantly different than One-Book Author, and they should not be merged.
One-Hit Wonder is about the artist only producing one work that became popular.
One-Book Author is about the artist only producing one book period.
One Work Wonder isn't the same thing, exactly, and shouldn't be the main name for that trope; it implies that OBA is a matter of popularity, and it's not. It's questionable whether that should even be a redirect.
Harper Lee and Edgar Allen Poe each only wrote one novel. That the reasons were different isn't relevant to their inclusion, I don't think, though of course that might be described in the example entry. They belong on the same list because they both fit the criterion for inclusion on that list. The Sex Pistols, having made only one album, would be a OBA but not a OHW: one "book" but more than one hit. Ditto Edgar Allen Poe. Harper Lee happens to be both an OBA and OHW: her only book was also her only hit.
Also, the OP is mistaken: even if it includes non-book examples, the name can be anything if it's not causing problems. Could be One Film Director or One Building Architect. Doesn't matter. The OP of a thread calling for a rename is supposed to demonstrate evidence of a problem. Not sure what about this would make it seem like an exception. It is not.
edited 27th Apr '12 10:11:45 PM by rodneyAnonymous
Becky: Who are you? The Mysterious Stranger: An angel. Huck: What's your name? The Mysterious Stranger: Satan.
One Work Wonder should be removed as a redirect. It was in fact that last time this trope came up for repairs. That it's been moved back to this trope from one hit wonder again means that I'm probably going to have to lock it.
This trope has very little to do with that name. I'm going to move it back again as per the last TRS, and lock that redirect or cutlist it.
I'm really not sure which is a better idea right now.
edited 29th Apr '12 5:26:40 AM by shimaspawn
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
So what are we going to do here? Anything?
When I hear One-Hit Wonder, I think entirely of music. "One work within any given non-musical medium" seems like a valid subtrope that just needs a distinct name.
That subtrope also has absolutely nothing to do with this trope nor this discussion. If you want one, take it to YKTTW. This trope is about creators who only ever created one work, regardless of quality.
Think of the mooks!
Too misleading. A person can write just one book ever, but act in dozens of tv shows and still count.
Besides, OP is violating TRS rules and there's still been no misuse or confusion proven. I'm going to just lock this one.
edited 30th Apr '12 2:44:35 PM by shimaspawn
Reality is that, which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away. -Philip K. Dick
One-Book Author should be swapped with its redirect One Work Wonder — the current name makes it seem as if it's books only, when most of the examples are not books at all.