A part in first book that is the main premise in a second, unrelated book?

You are worrying about nothing. What's bad about it?.

And how is anybody going to know or have a clue the premise for the next and apparently unrelated book is buried in the one they're currently reading - until they read the second one?

It's not uncommon for subsequent books to have a connection of some sort to the content of previous ones.

I agree with Bufty.

Writers take smaller elements of books and make them bigger for their own purposes all the time. No reason why you can't do that for your own ideas.

While not EXACTLY what you're talking about, I'd actually thought about doing something along these lines via a series of recursive stories:

The first book would, at some point, have the characters sit down and listen to a storyteller. I wouldn't have his story told in detail, but just enough to provide an easily recognizable synopsis or blurb ("He sang a tale of this guy who did the thing"). This blurb would then form the foundation of the second book, which would also have the characters sit down to listen to a storyteller, whose story would form the basis of book three, etc.

Eventually, the last book would also have a storyteller, who would be telling the story that's in the FIRST book.

D. E. Wyatt said:

Eventually, the last book would also have a storyteller, who would be telling the story that's in the FIRST book.

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Oooh, that's a good idea. Especially if the recursive stories themselves highlight secret, omniscient details or tell a biased account. There are some VERY interesting angles you could take with that!

starrystorm said:

In my UF I have a few scenes in which another species can mind-control/body control the humans (MC's). Instances like taking control of the FMC's arm occur twice in attempts to harm the FMC and another epidsode with the MMC. I wrote these scenes a long time ago. Now I have a problem...

The next novel (not related to the UF) I want to write is entirely about body control/mind control, that's the main premise.

Is this bad to have?

Having pieces of my next novel's premise in my first book?

If it came down to one, I'd rather get rid of the scenes in the UF than get rid of second book entirely.

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You say the second story isn't related to the UF. Is it possible that it could be another part of the same universe, maybe if you tweaked it a little? Then, it would be foreshadowing.

If that can't work, don't worry, just go for it. Lots of writers have elements they favour in their work: Asimov and robots, Heinlein and military SF.

That would make the similarities less pronounced, then. I think you're fine.

I've been thinking about this a lot and I'm realizing how many of my favorite authors reduce, reuse, recycle ideas. These are outside of your genre, but . . .

Jane Austen had a pretty set formula. Charlotte Brontë wrote three books about teachers getting involved in complicated love affairs. David Guterson writes Buddhist/existentialist philosophy against a backdrop of Washington State scenery.

I'm only put off by that sort of thing when I don't like the writing in the first place. And that's a matter of personal preference.

It's perfectly normal; the first book gave you the idea; the second gave you the room to explore it.

I like the idea of having elements from one book in the other. Even if they dont fully tie together or lead to sequel/prequel, I think readers enjoy seeing those things.

In the 5 novel series I’m writing, a particular deity is mentioned in the first book, and the cult founder that worships that deity is the antagonist in the third book.

Nothing to worry about at all. Writers often use the same themes over, and over, and maybe over again.