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Plagiarism in bad romance....

I'm not sure what's worse - that people get paid to write this stuff, or the fact it actually sells.

Athon
 
LOL! Reminds me of one time when my husband and I went to a used book store. The clerk very kindly and proactively led me to the racks of Harlequin Romances. I politely thanked him and then after he went back to his desk, I proceeded on to the science books.
 
You know, it's struck me now and again that writing bodice-rippers is probably better-paid and less stressful than science - should I give it a try? Always thought I'd probably be OK with the sex, but I'd have a problem with the dialogue. This thread may have solved that problem for me.


So:
It's a cold January evening and the squire is returning from the stables when he encounters the housemaid emptying some slops into the horse-trough. Hoping to interest her in a nice, warming session of horizontal star-gazing, he strikes up a conversation.

<hastily-concocted explanation of their encyclopaedic knowledge of astronomy – I'll fill this in later>

Squire: Ah, m'dear, Comet Tuttle passes within just 38 million kilometres <maybe convert that to miles> this January evening. That is pretty close and so it will be moving quite rapidly across the night sky.

Maid: Yes, and Venus and Jupiter will be seen low in the eastern pre-dawn sky at the very end of January within one and a half degrees of each other. Venus will be the brighter at -4 magnitudes with Jupiter at -1.9.

Squire: (softly, lips brushing her ear): Ah, a conjunction, hee hee.

Maid (blushing): In general, the International Space Station can be seen either in the hour or so before dawn or the hour or so after sunset - this is because it is dark and yet the Sun is not too far below the horizon so that it can light up the space station.
<erm, may have to cut that bit>
I mean, the brilliant constellation of Orion is seen in the south. Moving up and to the right - following the line of the three stars of Orion's belt - brings one to Taurus; the head of the bull being outlined by the V-shaped cluster called the Hyades with its eye delineated by the orange red star Aldebaran.

Squire (nuzzling her ear-lobe): Further up to the right (suiting his action to the words) lies the Pleaides Cluster.

Maid: Towards the zenith from Taurus lies the constellation Auriga, whose brightest star Capella will be nearly overhead. To the upper left of Orion lie the heavenly twins ...

Squire: Indeed! Ahem! ... mind wandering. Yes, Gemini. Their ... pinnacles ... indicated by the two bright stars Castor and Pollux. Down to the lower left of Orion lies the brightest star in the northern sky, Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major. Finally, up and to the left of Sirius is Procyon in Canis Minor.

Maid: The stars of the Plough form one of the most recognised star patterns in the sky. It forms part of the Great Bear constellation - not quite so easy to make out! The stars Merak and Dubhe form the pointers which will lead you to the Pole Star, and hence find North.

Squire: I reckon we should take a good look at the Plough, also known as the Big Dipper. ... 'Course, we'll get a better view in the hay-loft ...


(All that for free, just by googling "night sky".) So is it OK, as long as I credit the Jodrell Bank Observatory?
 
Oh haha, let's all take this opportunity to look down on people who read romance novels.

This story broke on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and it goes way beyond black-footed ferrets (although I think Tolme's article is one of the only plagiarized pieces still under copyright protection). Their latest blog post on the story contains links to about a dozen others. There's also a PDF with references to every case of plagiarism their readers have found, whether the plagiarized source was copyrighted or not.
 
Wowbagger said:
I agree the plagarism is criminal.

But, what's so unrealistic about having a frank, scientific chat, after sex?
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They discuss the ferrets crossing over the Bering Strait land bridge, which was generally accepted in the 1930s. They're doing this in 1850.
 
Alice Shortcake said:
You're wasted here. A lucrative career in romantic crap awaits you! ;)
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Crap???!!!
:(

I'll have you know that I, for one, was pretty damned pleased with it – it's a quantum leap beyond my previous efforts. Light years ahead, really.

Ah! I've found a good source for the next instalment.

Bespectacled female physicist: Theories based on quantum mechanics do not describe gravity, but rather the other three fundamental forces: electromagnetism (light), strong forces (binding atomic nuclei), and weak forces (seen in radioactivity).

Janitor: I've heard that scientists have long hoped to meld these theories into one "theory of everything" to describe all aspects of nature (loosening physicist's hair and removing her glasses ... and so on).

Contemplating my new career ...
 
"They are so named because of their dark legs," Shadow Bear says, to which Shiona responds: "They are so small, surely weighing only about two pounds and measuring two feet from tip to tail."

"Whatever," Shadow Bear says. "I only introduced the subject to provide a suitable euphamism for our impending act of copulation."

"For sure I don't know what you mean" flutters Shiona prettily, her dark eyes spangling.

"Ferrets and drainpipes!" grizzles Shadow Bear in a gutteral love-rasp, leaping to his feet. "But let that pass. My excitement is clearly evidenced by my pant-straining man-iron - behold!"

Shiona gasps like a wisp and her pale fingers fly to her lips like frightened birds returing to roost in a moist, flesh-rimmed cave.

"What, then!" Demands Shadow Bear, his voice playful yet musky. "Is your knowledge of mammalagy so exiguous or does something distract you?"

"Oh my darliing Shadow Bear," Shiona breathes in ethereal caresses that suffuse the icy night air, "although my thighs are positively a-quiver and my pantaloons damp in my lady-valley, I am inexplicably obliged to reveal that ferrets are related to minks and otters, and that their closest relations are Siberian - "

With a toss of his granite chin Shadow Bear dismisses all talk of native fauna and thrusts his hips mightily and repeatedly in the direction of Shiona's face until her voice flitters and sighs - nay, wafts - into silence. For a moment they regard each other, their bussoms heaving with the perspiring passion of lust, until Shiona leaps suddenly forwards to her knees and tears panther-like at Shadow Bear's nether-garments.

"Ahhh," grins Shadow Bear into the night as a rhythm of love is established. "Perhaps we should talk of pythons..."

"Mpphhh!" Shiona replies.
 
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Lucky said:
You know, it's struck me now and again that writing bodice-rippers is probably better-paid and less stressful than science - should I give it a try? Always thought I'd probably be OK with the sex, but I'd have a problem with the dialogue. This thread may have solved that problem for me.

Most Rengency romances are written by men who are out of work historians.
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Baron, kindly remember that this forum is for family viewing. Also, I believe you have plagiarised that fine novelist, Cassie Edwards - characters, action, the lot. She may sue.


korenyx said:
Most Rengency romances are written by men who are out of work historians.
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In that case I definitely see a niche for a scientist looking for a career change. Combine your experience of:
1) Your academic specialty, and
2) Sex
to create a new romance genre.

In my case, I would use medical statistics as the setting. You may think this sounds dull, but that's because you have no idea of the flirtation, illicit lust and downright hanky panky that goes on between the spreadsheets, in darkened lecture theatres, under laboratory benches etc.
 
In the next Cassie Edwards novel we will find Lucky's post cut and pasted on page 37. Including this sentence:
<hastily-concocted explanation of their encyclopaedic knowledge of astronomy – I'll fill this in later>

Baron's post will be cut and pasted on page 162.

You all have been warned.
 
ONce years ago I got a few vanloads of books from a library sale, and one of them was a romance novel from the 1930's or so. I opened it, and in pen, someone had changed the title and author on the title page, and gone through the entire book, changing the characters' names, removing a few passages, adding a couple. I never found out whether the altered novel was published, but I thought it an amusing lesson in where cheap romance novels come from. That was before the internet. I'll have to try to hunt it down now, and check again. I wonder how many times each of those plots gets recycled that way.

e.t.a. no ferrets, though!
 
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...My words did not enhance her novel. They were filler. I can imagine frustrated and horny readers cursing the ferrets and skipping ahead in search of the next nipple...
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Not much to add here to the excellent parodies above; but I did feel it necessary to add a comment what with the avatar and all. :D
 
sthomson said:
Oh haha, let's all take this opportunity to look down on people who read romance novels.

This story broke on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, and it goes way beyond black-footed ferrets (although I think Tolme's article is one of the only plagiarized pieces still under copyright protection). Their latest blog post on the story contains links to about a dozen others. There's also a PDF with references to every case of plagiarism their readers have found, whether the plagiarized source was copyrighted or not.
Click to expand...

I love Smart Bitches, Trashy Books! They are, indeed, smart, and they're funny to boot! And if anyone recognizes bad romance, they do. Check our their "F" reviews.
 
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