Copyright question

Topaz044 · Jun 4, 2008

Hi guys,

In the future, I'm entertaining the idea of creating a novel based on the works of Bram Stoker. Kind of a 'what if' book, with the idea that the ending of Dracula didn't quite happen. All the major characters will be in it-Mina, Dracula, Van Helsing, etc. Normally I wouldn't dare to write one because of copyright laws, but I've noticed other books on the shelf based on Dracula too, so maybe there's something else going on.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Topaz

Woolly · Jun 4, 2008

Dracula's in the public domain, as explained here: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PublicDomainCharacter

Basically, you can use the character, but if someone else has a "modern twist" on it that they came up with first, it's proprietary and they can prevent you from using that.

sassandgroove · Jun 4, 2008

Mina is in League of Extraordinary Gentlemen isn't she? The movie anyway. My husband likes the comic books.

I think stories with characters we know already are at two extremes - Excellent! or Terrible! Like my favorite movie as a kid was Young Sherlock Holmes-excellent. It keeps in the spirit. It has a few in jokes. But I've read some fanfic that is just cheesy and melodramatic and trite. Here's hopin' yours will be excellent.

ETA: WElcome to AW - both of you.

loquax · Jun 4, 2008

Also there was a movie called Van Helsing.

DON'T WATCH IT

Topaz044 · Jun 4, 2008

^Gulp. Too late. I did!

Thank you, Sassandgroove and Woolly! That helps a lot!

Tirjasdyn · Jun 4, 2008

Folks do it all the time...but if you write another Anno Dracula I'll have to hunt you down and have you killed for inflicting it on the world.

Topaz044 said:
Hi guys,

In the future, I'm entertaining the idea of creating a novel based on the works of Bram Stoker. Kind of a 'what if' book, with the idea that the ending of Dracula didn't quite happen. All the major characters will be in it-Mina, Dracula, Van Helsing, etc. Normally I wouldn't dare to write one because of copyright laws, but I've noticed other books on the shelf based on Dracula too, so maybe there's something else going on.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Topaz

Gillhoughly · Jun 4, 2008

Also there was a movie called Van Helsing.

DON'T WATCH IT

Hey, it's a great cheesy movie for snarking at while scarfing chocolate and playing the drinking game! I just liked seeing the hero wearing those tight shorts and sweat.

--------

Dracula is in the public domain, so it's wide open for sequels, but it's been done.

If you have something NEW to add to the mythos, then go for it, else do some deep reading research to make sure you're not repeating what's come before:

Fred Saberhagen - Longest-running, best and most famous of the Dracula sequel series.

Marie Kiraly - Ignore the erotic cover (marketing, go figure) and 1-star review, it's really very good.

P.N. Elrod - She's working on the sequel to this sequel and edited a Dracula collection.

C. Dean Andersson - One (not very erotic) sex act after another, not much plot, good cover, though.

Kim Newman - In a class of his own.

And the comic series!

There's tons of others. Drac's a popular dude.

sassandgroove · Jun 5, 2008

And please don't do something like Dracula 2000, oh that was painful.

Kalyke · Jun 5, 2008

Hey, here's a good idea! Dr. Acula

a_sharp · Jun 5, 2008

Well, Gregory Maguire made it work with his takeoffs on Frank Baum's Oz series, Cinderella, and Snow White. I read both "Wicked" and "Son of Wicked" and enjoyed both. Maguire has taken characters from public domain stories and imbued them with a totally new life. So there's precedent for your idea.

sassandgroove · Jun 5, 2008

Use Her Name said:
Hey, here's a good idea! Dr. Acula

groan.

James D. Macdonald · Jun 5, 2008

And if you call your character "Count Alucard," I will come to your house and mock you in person.

Topaz044 · Jun 7, 2008

^LOL! Trust me, nothing like that.

TrickyFiction · Jun 8, 2008

James D. Macdonald said:
And if you call your character "Count Alucard," I will come to your house and mock you in person.

That's already been done by the Japanese, sans the "Count" bit. I'm not even going to tell you how long it took me to actually look at the name backward and realize who the character was supposed to be. :e2smack:

IceCreamEmpress · Jun 8, 2008

TrickyFiction said:
That's already been done by the Japanese, sans the "Count" bit.

Kim Newman beat the "Hellsing" folks to it by quite a few years.

But the trope (that vampires use anagrams of their names) comes from the 1872 vampire novel Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

blacbird · Jun 8, 2008

IceCreamEmpress said:
But the trope (that vampires use anagrams of their names) comes from the 1872 vampire novel Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu.

I second this (having already repped ICE) mainly to emphasize her recognition of LeFanu. A very great and much neglected Victorian writer. A lot of Victorian writers get dissed today as being too prolix, to the point of being unreadable by today's readers, too many of whom have traces of ADD. In the vein of weird fiction, LeFanu is most definitely worth a serious look, as is his contemporary, Wilkie Collins. Dover Books publishes a number of the titles of these two writers in handsome and affordable trade paperback editions.

caw

Birol · Jun 8, 2008

James D. Macdonald said:
And if you call your character "Count Alucard," I will come to your house and mock you in person.

Anyone who is trying to get Jim to come for a visit should note the above.

TPCSWR · Jun 8, 2008

TrickyFiction said:
That's already been done by the Japanese, sans the "Count" bit. I'm not even going to tell you how long it took me to actually look at the name backward and realize who the character was supposed to be.

Alucard, or Arucard, I guess we'll never know which it really is (characters say Alucard, it's always written as Arucard. Damn Japanese lack of l).

Copyright question

Topaz044

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Woolly

Rambler

sassandgroove

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loquax

I verb nouns adverbly

Topaz044

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Tirjasdyn

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Gillhoughly

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sassandgroove

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a_sharp

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sassandgroove

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James D. Macdonald

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Topaz044

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IceCreamEmpress

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