Richard Hooker (author) - Sequels

Sequels

Hornberger wrote sequels to MASH, M*A*S*H Goes to Maine (1972) and M*A*S*H Mania (1977), neither of which enjoyed the commercial success of the original. Nevertheless, there were efforts to adapt M*A*S*H Goes to Maine into a film. Both books' portrayals of the characters were entirely independent of the movie and TV characterizations, as they were based upon Hornberger's own experiences after the Korean War, which included a stint working for the Veterans Administration, qualifying for his surgical boards and then setting himself up in private practice.

While MASH was a fairly faithful reflection of Hornberger's service in Korea, the sequels M*A*S*H Goes to Maine and M*A*S*H Mania were diverse representations of the "Swamp Gang's" post-Korea activities in the fictional town of Spruce Harbour, Maine, from 1953 to the 1970s. These activities mirrored Hornberger's settling in the area surrounding Waterville, Maine, up to the publication of M*A*S*H Mania in 1977. The latter two novels are characterised by gentle humour, stereotypical local characters and a nostalgic look at Maine and its people through Hornberger's eyes. Throughout, the "Swamp Gang" prospers, gets its own way most of the time and generally become more conservative as the years pass, playing golf and being a thorn in the side of "summer complaints" and the local hierarchy.