This is topic Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Harry Potter cloning at its most uninspired. in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
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.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
Oh no.
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."
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
Scott, I so want to read that.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
What was that series by the Russian author that more or less copied directly from Harry Potter, even the cover art?
Posted by Evie3217 (Member # 5426) on :
*sigh* I wish authors would come up with their own ideas, instead of taking main plot points from celebrated authors.
Posted by Chris Kidd (Member # 2646) on :
The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane is a good alternative to harry potter. even though it was published years before Hp.
Posted by Geekazoid99 (Member # 8254) on :
yah young wizards series
Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :
Kronos? Don't they know that's the Klingon homeworld?
(...yes, I know who Kronos is in Greek mythology, btw)
Posted by Lissande (Member # 350) on :
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?
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Mac, that's Qo'nos.
Lissande, it was a serious knock-off. She was sued for copyright infringment after selling a fairly large volume of those books in Russia.
Posted by SteveRogers (Member # 7130) on :
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.
Posted by Chris Kidd (Member # 2646) on :
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.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
"The Dark is Rising" Sequence is also a good alternative take on the young UK Wizard story...and again, it predates HP by some years.
Post-dating (but still very good) is Ted Naifeh's "Courtney Crumrin" graphic novel series.
Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
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)
Posted by 0range7Penguin (Member # 7337) on :
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.
Posted by Puffy Treat (Member # 7210) on :
The Books of Magic, Syn.
TGaiman wrote the initial mini, the subsequent comic series was carried on by others.