Lizzie asked Dean M. Cole:

Why did you choose Vaughn Singleton as the name for the last man on earth in Solitude? Since it's my last name, I was curious.

Dean M. Cole Hey, Lizzie! Thanks for the question. There's some interesting trivia behind his first name. The narrator of The Martian suggested it. For the last name, Singleton seemed fitting for the last man on Earth. However, throughout the writing of Solitude, Vaughn was John Singleton. During final editing, I decided the first name was too common, not memorable enough. I wanted to change it, but it had to be a name that rhymed with John, lest I inadvertently create many unintended rhymes within the manuscript when I did a global Find and Replace. I told R.C. Bray, Solitude's audiobook narrator, of my dilemma, and he suggested Vaughn. It was a real V8-slap-to-the-forehead moment.

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