...even though Robert B. Parker is dead?
Not "lost" manuscripts or unfinished pieces, but the series carried on by another writer.
What do you guys think? Rex Stout, the author of the Nero Wolfe mysteries, was once asked about this practice, and said that he didn't know if it constituted cannibalism or vampirism, but that "they should roll their own." (it should be noted that another author wrote some Nero Wolfe novels later - - of course, they weren't as good as Stout.)
I myself think that, as much as I'd like another Travis McGee novel to read, or the undelivered sequels to Louis L'Amour's The Walking Drum, that the author's works should be left alone, especially if the author's family/heirs aren't consulted or compensated. I don't think this includes fanfic, which is usually done gratis.
What about pastiche after the author's work is no longer protected by copyright? I've read a lot of such work, especially of Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. I think that by the time that copyrights expire, most series fiction is only of marginal interest to anyone, and thus probably fair game for the pastiche writer. Some characters in fiction have proven immortal, such as Sherlock Holmes; I think that lesser creations such as Travis McGee or even Spenser will eventually be forgotten. Every generation creates the characters that reflect its place and time.
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4 comments:
I have read that Conan Doyle didn't particularly care if others used his Sherlock Holmes character. I have read some and they seemed to hold true to Holmes character, more or less. I see more and more authors using co-authors and some, for example, Tom Clancy's series just left me flat.
Couldn't agree more, Robert. A character like Spenser is built up carefully over several books. Don't sully him. Invent your own damn hero.
I don't care who writes sokmething as long as it's well written. BTW, I'm glad to see you reading Haggard, I hope I helped push you toward that. I hope I can get more to read those good old books.
@og: I've known about the Rider Haggard books for a while, and downloaded a bunch to my Kindle, but your mentioning them recently inspired me to finally crack one open. I also have a bunch of Sax Rohmer, Twain, and Richard Francis Burton to wade through.
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