Pratchett the plagarist - A Meeting of Minds

P'ter · Feb 10 2018, 04:46 PM

I have just been rereading The Colour of Magic after many years and realised (again) how the section 'The Lure of the Wyrm' draws on Anne's Pern.

His female (would-be) leader is called 'Liessa'. The dragons have equine heads. And most of the named male riders have a punctuation mark in their names.

granath · Feb 13 2018, 11:35 AM

Possibly. In all other respects, however, the plots are so wide apart as to have very little in common. I rather think that it was a subtle compliment. That said, I noticed the similarities too when I read the book.

Anne herself has often named characters for people whom she admired, Johnny Greene being the typical example. She's even named characters for people she met online or at cons.

I must admit that I have't read Elizabeth Moon's Kylara Vatta books, but that name certainly seems like a nod to Anne's work. Of course, you can't copyright names, but still...

***Hans*** · Feb 17 2018, 05:03 AM

Wyrmberg is the "Dragon Home" featured in The Colour of Magic, a magic-infested area where dragons can be created from pure thought. Parodies Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. The Wyrmberg is located, according to information in The Compleat Discworld Atlas, in the country of Hergen. Aparently dracophiles - dragon-spotters - are drawn to this ara and unpleasant situations have resulted. Some Extreme Sports enthusiasts have even tried to climb the Wyrmberg, drawn magnetically to an upside-down mountain held in place by residual magic. This has led to more unpleasantness and frequent splatting noises.
Wyrmberg has the appearance of an upside down mountain. On the inside it is hollow, with dwellings for the dragon riders and forgotten tunnels from a time when there was more magic. On top is a small wood, a lake with waterfalls running down the sides of the mountain and the Killing Ground, where for some bizarre reason fighting is prohibited.
Wyrmberg is now ruled by Liessa Wyrmbidder (aka Lianna, perhaps a typo), after Hrun defeated and she banished her brothers Lio!rt and Liartes, allowing her father, Greicha to finally rest in peace.

https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Wyrmberg

Jeslinth · Feb 18 2018, 02:33 PM

As a satirist, Pratchett also spoofed Tolkien, the writer of the Conan the Barbarian stories, and Shakespeare. So Anne was in good company!

granath · Feb 19 2018, 02:38 AM

Indeed she was. And parody is usually covered by fair use anyway, isn't it?

Jeslinth · Feb 20 2018, 12:07 AM

It is under US law, at least to a degree. I think I read somewhere that the legal line between parody and plagiarism can sometimes be fuzzy and relies on how much of the original material is used, and that's one of the reasons parody artists like Weird Al usually get permission for commercial use--because they're using the whole song, musically.

Feb 10 2018, 04:46 PM	#1
P'ter Crafter Craftmaster Join Date: May 2006 Location: Wolverhampton Gender: M Fan of: Favorite? Now Reading: avidly	Pratchett the plagarist I have just been rereading The Colour of Magic after many years and realised (again) how the section 'The Lure of the Wyrm' draws on Anne's Pern. His female (would-be) leader is called 'Liessa'. The dragons have equine heads. And most of the named male riders have a punctuation mark in their names. __________________ "Truth is stranger than fiction: fiction has to make sense." Leo Rosten. "When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." C. S. Lewis "I find television very educational. Whenever somebody switches it on I go in the other room and read a book." (attributed to Groucho Marx) The Pedants are revolting! (against bad grammar)

Feb 13 2018, 11:35 AM	#2
granath Talent Tower Prime Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Proud Mom! Gender: F Fan of: Afra Lyon Now Reading: Faye Upton: Dragonchoice 3	Re: Pratchett the plagarist Possibly. In all other respects, however, the plots are so wide apart as to have very little in common. I rather think that it was a subtle compliment. That said, I noticed the similarities too when I read the book. Anne herself has often named characters for people whom she admired, Johnny Greene being the typical example. She's even named characters for people she met online or at cons. I must admit that I have't read Elizabeth Moon's Kylara Vatta books, but that name certainly seems like a nod to Anne's work. Of course, you can't copyright names, but still... __________________ Decaf coffee is an oxymoron. Instant coffee is an abomination. Give me the real thing and nobody gets hurt. "Do. Or do not. There is no try" -- Yoda VP of the Afra Lyon fan club!

Feb 17 2018, 05:03 AM	#3
*Hans* Master Archivist Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: The Netherlands Gender: M Fan of: Pern!	Re: Pratchett the plagarist Wyrmberg is the "Dragon Home" featured in The Colour of Magic, a magic-infested area where dragons can be created from pure thought. Parodies Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. The Wyrmberg is located, according to information in The Compleat Discworld Atlas, in the country of Hergen. Aparently dracophiles - dragon-spotters - are drawn to this ara and unpleasant situations have resulted. Some Extreme Sports enthusiasts have even tried to climb the Wyrmberg, drawn magnetically to an upside-down mountain held in place by residual magic. This has led to more unpleasantness and frequent splatting noises. Wyrmberg has the appearance of an upside down mountain. On the inside it is hollow, with dwellings for the dragon riders and forgotten tunnels from a time when there was more magic. On top is a small wood, a lake with waterfalls running down the sides of the mountain and the Killing Ground, where for some bizarre reason fighting is prohibited. Wyrmberg is now ruled by Liessa Wyrmbidder (aka Lianna, perhaps a typo), after Hrun defeated and she banished her brothers Lio!rt and Liartes, allowing her father, Greicha to finally rest in peace. https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Wyrmberg __________________ Hans, also known as Elrhan, Master Archivist Visit The Pern Museum & Archives for all your Pern and Anne McCaffrey News and Resources! The Pern Museum & Archives is the home of the Pern Encyclopedia and the Pern Bloodlines.

Feb 18 2018, 02:33 PM	#4
Jeslinth Junior Member Darbul Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Pennsylvania Gender: F Fan of: The Harper Hall Trilogy Now Reading: "Mountolive" by Lawrence Durrell	Re: Pratchett the plagarist As a satirist, Pratchett also spoofed Tolkien, the writer of the Conan the Barbarian stories, and Shakespeare. So Anne was in good company!

Feb 19 2018, 02:38 AM	#5
granath Talent Tower Prime Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Proud Mom! Gender: F Fan of: Afra Lyon Now Reading: Faye Upton: Dragonchoice 3	Re: Pratchett the plagarist Indeed she was. And parody is usually covered by fair use anyway, isn't it? __________________ Decaf coffee is an oxymoron. Instant coffee is an abomination. Give me the real thing and nobody gets hurt. "Do. Or do not. There is no try" -- Yoda VP of the Afra Lyon fan club!

Feb 20 2018, 12:07 AM	#6
Jeslinth Junior Member Darbul Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Pennsylvania Gender: F Fan of: The Harper Hall Trilogy Now Reading: "Mountolive" by Lawrence Durrell	Re: Pratchett the plagarist It is under US law, at least to a degree. I think I read somewhere that the legal line between parody and plagiarism can sometimes be fuzzy and relies on how much of the original material is used, and that's one of the reasons parody artists like Weird Al usually get permission for commercial use--because they're using the whole song, musically.

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