[Kreutzer]

Pynchon hired post-docs to research the dotcom bubble and cultural ephemera of the time for BLeeding Edge. Many other writers employ researchers for their writing as well, James Ellroy comes to mind. It's a kind of open secret in the publishing industry. Of course, writers and their publishers alike would prefer if readers had no idea of this.

[coldtea]

It's not more a secret or shameful than a Hollywood director paying consultants in various aspects (from slang, history and politics to fashion, interior design, and cars) to make his mafia movie more historically accurate

[dbspin]

Novelists using researchers isn't a secret, and it's not shameful. Not sure where you picked up this idea.

[Kreutzer]

I didn't say it was....