Star Trek: The Original Series
Snodgrass was a fan of "Star Trek: The Original Series" and, after quitting her previous job at a law practice, her friend Victor Milan suggested that she try to become a writer. Milan proposed that she should write a novel about "Star Trek". Despite Snodgrass not being on the list of approved authors, her outline was purchased by David G. Hartwell. Snodgrass and Milan discussed ideas and she decided that she would go with a softer, more friendly story along the lines of the episodes "The Trouble with Tribbles" or "The City on the Edge of Forever". Her inspiration for the aliens in the book was because she "couldn't think of anything softer or fuzzier than baby white seals".