A new column up on my site...

[seawasp]

... this one titled Ideas Are Not Valuable, a title that might at least get some attention!

Comments

[kengr]

Oh god, yes...

One example is the unfinished H. Beam Piper that somebody finished and was published in the 80s (First Cycle). Basic premise was An "Earth" that was a double planet. That is, had a companion that was almost the same size.

The pair of planets orbited a common center of gravity and both had life.

One of James Blish's lesser known works (I only know about it because of my extensive collection of Astounding magazines) is "Get Out of My Sky".

Same idea. Virtually certain that both authors were given the same background to write a story from. Possibly by Campbell, possibly by the publisher of the "Twain Tripletts" which were books where several authors were given the same planets and races and told to write a story from them.

We known that Piper's "Uller Uprising" was in one. And I have my suspicions about "Four-Day Planet".

But *very* different stories.

For a more modern example, consider Ringo's "Legacy of the Aldenata" series. Basic premise is humans recruited by aliens to serve as mercenaries against a six-limbed alien species spreading like locusts.

The Swarm shared universe ( http://www.asstr.org/~Thinkers_tales/Stories/The_Swarm/Swarm_main.html#Stories & http://storiesonline.net/library/universe.php?id=289 ) is much the same idea (but with a lot more sex, given the sites the stories are hosted on :-)

But the two universes are *very* different.

(note: Brooke hosts the Swarm authors mailing list on my website/domain. So I'm not entirely an unbiased observer.)

BTW, since the Swarm universe is a shared universe setting, it's rather interesting watching the different writers takes on things and the "owner" of the universe occasionally having to rein in authors who are steering it in odd directions.

Herding cats is easier than herding authors. *Especially* amateur ones.

Though I can think of a few pros I wouldn't want to have to steer. (And no, Ryk, you aren't one of them)

[q99.livejournal.com]

I find that putting down my ideas and getting feedback, is when I started getting somewhat good at making ideas.

I run into people who try and horde ideas sometimes, and it boggles me.

[xander-opal.livejournal.com]

Well put. A parallel problem is trying to save that Really Awesome Idea for When You Write Better.

[xander-opal.livejournal.com]

Ringo's _There Will Be Dragons_ and Stirling's _Dies The Fire_ also had a number of parallels, and were published very close together in time.