"Ty" <tybeardSPAAM@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:C863j.20886$4V6.19002@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> "JohnK" <jkenny5@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
> news:69a92740-2012-4058-a627-
>
<snip JK's comments>
> His most significant offenses in my mind were:
>
> 1. The fact that he put forth so little effort to ensure that his
> additions to the DC were consistent with FH's work.
>
> 2. The fact that the things they added to the DC were often (a)
laughably
> derivative; and/or (b) implausible given FH's depiction of the
Duniverse.
Actually, this reminds me of something that happened, hmmmm, last year, I
think it was, or possibly 2005. I receive a voicemail one day from a
lawyer
who says he is representing some partners who created a game. Honestly, I
don't remember whether it was an online RPG, board game, card game or...?,
but suffice it to say a game of some kind for which some type of
remuneration was being earned. These partners were being SUED
by...ta-da!...none other than the boy wonders themselves, BH & KJA (or
Dune
whatever LLC), for copyright infringement. The story went something along
the lines of 1) the entity had a derivative copyright license, 2) it
produced the game, 3) the game went along merrily for a while, then 4) BH
and KJA noticed that the game included some element that, they claim, was
right out of House Atreides or one of the Great Shunned Works (this is
what
*I* call them). Now, somehow, this lawyer had turned up the name of yours
truly in the vast discovery, due to some work (JK, you remember this well)
I
had done for Willis McNelly in the late 90's with regard to a similar
discussion (going in the OTHER direction). So, what the hell, I call him
back, and upon HEARING this story (I wish I could remember what the
specific
plotline claim was, but it was pretty damned silly...FD or RNFD's?
Something specific from the Great Shunned Works, IIRC, so not the RNFD's),
I
burst into laughter and nearly have to put the phone down because I have
completely lost control of myself, and this guy must think I'm a loon.
Fortunately, he's apparently a litigator, and he has learned the art of
patience, so he waits for me to regain my composure, and when I have, I
tell
him to ask them, in discovery (or better yet, in depositions, what I
wouldn't give!), WHERE DID THEY GET THE IDEA FOR THE CLOAKED ****P THAT
FIRES
UPON THE OTHER ****P FROM "BENEATH" THE ATREIDES VESSEL IN THE
GUILD****P????
Did they, perchance, ever see a little-known film entitled "Star Trek VI,
The Undiscovered Country?" This guy is dead silent for about 30 seconds,
then starts to belly-laugh. Anyway...I have NO idea what happened in that
case, or if it went anywhere, etc., but the sheer HUBRIS of the two of
them - after ahem, "borrowing" a crucial (to THEIR plotline) element from
only one of the most widely-watched Sci-Fi movie series of all time - man,
it just SLAYS me.
> 3. Many actions and situations in the prequels were patently absurd. The
> classic example was the way everyone ran around with lasguns. Did he and
> KJA not realize that lasguns are *not* like Star Wars blasters? Did they
> even conceive of how ridiculous it was to arm security guards with
weapons
> capable of causing atomic explosions?
Blasters Good. Lasguns Bad. Maybe it needed to be explained in fewer
syllables. Maybe "nuclear fission" is too hard a concept, plus, they
didn't
have the wherewithal to invent something new and COOL. Let's face it:
they
weren't writing FOR Frank's fans; they were writing to EXPLOIT Frank's
fanbase and name recognition (and, Odin help us, the movie[s] fans). Big
Diff. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't explain the Atreides' "powers" as
"The Source," as in, May The Source Be With You...which would be DOUBLY
meaningful coming from them. :-)
>
> Such sloppiness and lack of regard for the source material is what I
can't
> abide.
Amen indeed, my kindred. Hmmmm...you know, I realize that we are all
grown-up working people (some of us MORE than others, <throat clearing>),
but while National Lampoon already plumbed the waters of send-ups for
DUNE,
(in "Doon," just in case any of you newbs missed it) nobody has really
harvested the rather endless possibilities of fan-fic sendups - all
PERFECTLY LEGIT under the "Fair Use Doctrine" - of the Great Shunned Works
(you notice that "GSW" has the same initials as "Gun Shot Wounds?" It's
how
I feel whenever I see the name "Brian Herbert" on the cover of a
novel...like I've been shot). We should give a LOT of thought to this, if
we collectively have the time. <evil grin>. No point in publi****ng
anything like that here; this group is damn near moribund. But there are
boatloads of sites that could handle something JUST like that....
Hitch
>
> --Ty
>
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