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Harry Potter was hardly the first story in fiction about a child in poor circumstances who finds out that he has a special gift. And that he needs to go to a special place to receive special training for a special destiny that's just so very special.
Still, Rowling's series is the current #1 most popular story. So, it's natural that clones should turn up. Cheesy, awful, uninspired clones. As the last HP volume approaches, the clones have begun appearing with greater frequency. Hoping to be the replacement series, I suppose.
I checked one out of the library...more out of curiosity than anything else.
"Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book One: The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan. Came out summer of 2005. A potential movie is in the works.
Percy is the demi-god son of Poseidon. His best friends are a nervous young satyr named Grover who likes to eat empty cans and a know-it-all girl named Hermi...uh...Annabeth.
They go to Camp Halfblood, the summer camp for offspring of the Greek Gods. Percy likes the camp, but doesn't get along with Sn...er, Dionysis, who sneeringly refers to Percy as "our celebrity". But he has the warm, paternal Dumbl...I mean, Chiron to treat him right.
Lurking in the background are monsters under the command of Hades, but the ultimate villain is the Dark Lord who everyone thought died years ago but seems to be coming back...they dare not invoke his name...KRONOS! (who did you expect?)
Yeah, anyway.
You know, I've read some very entertaining "Young Wizard/Witch" books that while obviously inspired by HP, they were not just a riff on it. They were their own thing.
One book in and this series is so pathetic in its desire to be "Harry Potter with a Greco Roman Myth Twist"...that it reads like nothing at all. Joyless, colorless, empty calorie fantasy. Ugh.
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I'm currently writing a short story based on the adventures of Chaeron and Dionysus Zagreus in the American West, called, "The RV That Crossed the Styx."
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What was that series by the Russian author that more or less copied directly from Harry Potter, even the cover art?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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*sigh* I wish authors would come up with their own ideas, instead of taking main plot points from celebrated authors.
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The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane is a good alternative to harry potter. even though it was published years before Hp.
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Lyr, there's some sort of Tanya Grotter or something in Russian, but I assumed it was a spoof along the lines of Bored of the Rings. Is it supposed to be a serious knock-off, then?
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Lissande, it was a serious knock-off. She was sued for copyright infringment after selling a fairly large volume of those books in Russia.
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quote:Originally posted by Chris Kidd: The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane is a good alternative to harry potter. even though it was published years before Hp.
Chris, here, is absolutely right. They are quite entertaining. And, I think, quite well written.
The characterization is quite good, as well. I will admit that this book made me cry at the end when *Spoiler*
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fred, the little white hole, died. I guess that means I'm a wuss.
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I was a bit choked at freds sacrifice. but remember the lone power dosn't like to be trifled with and will take his pound of flesh one way or another.
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This Neil Gaiman comic book predates HP and has a kid in glasses with an owl that has magic powers and he has to be taught about them by 4 men. (But the owl is a screech owl)
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I always liked a little messed up book which I believe was called the "scorpian Star." A shooting star that fell on all of these like eight kids birthdays give them terrible horrible powers that they later find out is being caused by-something i dont remember what-and they have to defeat it to unlock the opposite good affects of there powers.
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