Could we stop with the epilogues already? Michael Schaffer says that far too many authors are tacking on pedestrian glimpses into the future of their characters that diminish the overall value of their manuscript. “The allure of the epilogue is undeniably strong, powered by the fragrant aroma of authorial omniscience and the human desire for closure… [But] nothing is sillier or more gratuitous than a glimpse into the future of people who never existed in the first place.”