Science fiction and fantasy are all about discovering the new and the strange — but if you trip far enough and boldly enough , finally you ’ll get a certain signified of … deja vu . But that can be a good affair .
flock of science fiction and phantasy ’s most successful works have , er , borrowed more or less liberally from earlier works . But they ’ve also made some betterment on the whole kit they lifted from . Here are 10 copies that actually meliorate on the whole kit they were copying .
Top image viaMandy Maria on Flickr .
Disclaimer : When we say a level copied something else , we ’re not tell the derivative work is totally unoriginal . Just that it owes a rather large debt . And when we say that something improved on the original workplace , we ’re not say it ’s better than the original , overall — just that it added some coolheaded and cagey theme to the construct .
10 . The Matrix and The Invisibles
What did it take over ? Everything , grant to The Invisibles ’ Grant Morrison , who’sbeen very vocalabout sound out that the Wachowskis break up his pouch . In particular , the comedian features a young humankind being enter into a secret resistance that fights against the oppressive forces that control world in secret .
How did it improve upon the original ? Well , the last time I read The Invisibles , it felt … sprawl , to say the least . Morrison ’s comedian , like a sight of his more ambitious work , is all over the map . The Wachowskis condense it down to a fairly mingy film , in which world is literally fake , and we ’re in a virtual realness simulation . ( draw of other people render to do a “ virtual reality ” movie around the same time , and the Wachowskis deserve some props for being the only ones to have success with it . )
9 . fire beetle and Outlaw Star
What did it borrow ? Reportedly , Joss Whedon himself has deny being aware ofthis 1990s manga / anime series , so take this one with a grain of salt . It ’s entirely possible that all law of similarity are coincidental . Still , peoplehavepointedouta hostof similarities , including the banding of outlaws led by an anti - Hero of Alexandria , with a childlike locomotive engineer . And the fact that there ’s a missy with mysterious powers , ship naked in a box , who ’s being hunt by the authorities . But like I say , could just be concurrence .
How did it better upon the original ? Well , the hotshot of Firefly is that it take writing style tropes , like a lot of Western ideas , and flip them on their heading . Almost everything about Firefly feels fresh , no matter how many antecedents you might point out , because the characters and the macrocosm are so unique . You could show me a 1990s telly show with the exact same incidents as Firefly , in the precise same gild , and it still would n’t have those quality , including the riveting backstory about the Browncoats and the Alliance . Firefly is original in a way that goes beyond the question of whether it has unmediated antecedents .
8 . Harry Potter and The Sword in the Stone
What did it borrow ? Wecovered this one a while back , and J.K. Rowling has pretty much take that Wart from T.H. White ’s novel is Harry Potter ’s “ unearthly ancestor . ” Wart is a youthful boy who is destine to redeem England , who is look at in by a long - whiskery whizz who keep weird birds .
How did it improve upon the pilot ? Among other things , the invention of Hogwarts is a touch of brilliance , and the backstory about Voldemort and Harry ’s parents is pure gold . More than anything , Rowling created a whole world , that millions of citizenry want to last in .
https://gizmodo.com/did-harry-potter-really-steal-all-these-story-ideas-5683905
7 . Avatar and Everything
What did it adopt ? Umm … everything ? in reality , the accusations that Avatar burgled an entire locality of source oeuvre are a little overstated , as we discuss here . But the similarity to Poul Anderson ’s Call Me Joe , Ursula K. Le Guin ’s The Word for World is Forest and several other whole shebang are strike . In special , the evil human ravaging the beautiful unspoiled humankind , and the guy rope being put into an unnaturally created soundbox are honest-to-god idea .
How did it amend upon the original ? Say what you require about Avatar , James Cameron create a relatable master eccentric and put him into a beautifully detailed world . The amount of world - edifice in the pic is breathless , and it storm us to worry more about whether they ’re pass to pave paradise and put up a parking mint . Also , the idea that the Tree have neuronal connections is kind of mellisonant .
https://gizmodo.com/the-complete-list-of-sources-avatars-accused-of-ripping-5460954
6 . Alien and Voyage of the Space Beagle
What did it borrow ? Enough that generator A.E. Van Vogtreportedlysued — and Twentieth Century Fox settled out of court . In fussy , the overall plot of Alien seems to draw on an incident from one of the two tarradiddle in Van Vogt ’s “ fixup ” novel , in which an alien named Ixtl implants parasitical eggs into humans . The humans are pin on their spaceship with Ixtl and have to play a trick on Ixtl into leave .
How did it improve upon the archetype ? A gross ton of ways — Alien is a classic of scientific discipline fiction cinema because of its creepy ambiance and knife - sharpness writing . In terms of genres , Alien is a bright validation of concept of the genre of space horror , while Space Beagle is pure place opera .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwyyJ3D3g1E
5 . The Terminator and the Outer Limits , “ Demon with a Glass Hand ” and “ Soldier ”
What did it borrow?One of these Outer Limits episodesis about a guy who twist out to be a human being who ’s put his soul into a robot to fight alien . The other is about a guy who journey back in fourth dimension from a hair-raising time to come , only to give his life to deliver his new - found household when an foeman travels back from the time to come . The ideas are exchangeable enough that writer Harlan Ellison sued James Cameron , who settled out of court .
How did it improve upon the original ? Well , for one affair , Cameron took those two wildly disparate ideas and turned them into a coherent tale . It ’s one thing to come up with a time - travel from the future fighting another meter - traveling from the future , and a guy who ’s really a robot , and it ’s another to come up with The Terminator . For another , The Terminator has a keen twirl on the “ future savior ” melodic theme , one which puts Sarah Connor at the center of the story .
4 . dominion 9 and Alien Nation
What did it borrow ? Somearguethat one of 2009 ’s best movies owe a huge debt to this eighties TV series — in particular , the idea of alien refugee hail to our globe and confront favouritism and unmanageable condition .
How did it improve upon the original ? dominion 9 is a lot more heavily - hit and overstrung , with Wikus merrily slaughtering a whole hovel full of foreign baby in front of us , and hints that the aliens are about to be moved from a shanty town to a density camp . And just the character of Wikus is a wonderful invention .
3 . 28 Days afterward and Day of the Triffids
What did it adopt ? harmonise todirector Danny Boyle , John Wyndham ’s 1951 novel was author Alex Garland ’s original inspiration for this movie — in particular the fleck where a man wake up in a hospital bed , with his eyes bandaged , only to discover that the world ’s gone mad . The whole idea of a post - apocalyptic London where only a few mass remain “ normal , ” and predator lurk everywhere , is very Wyndham . Oh , and the attempts to make a new , repressive , society under siege .
How did it better upon the master ? The idea of the “ rage virus ” is completely new , and the conception of “ dissolute zombies ” is a masterstroke . Both stories are creepy in very dissimilar way — but 28 daylight subsequently is tum - turningly terrific in parts .
2 . Star Wars and Dune
What did it take over ? Here ’s apretty honest rundownfrom a group of Star Wars fans . really , George Lucas was quite a taradiddle magpie , lifting from The Hidden Fortress , The Dam Busters , Joseph Campbell , and long ton of other informant . But the Star Wars saga owes a destiny to Dune , including a desert satellite , a hero who goes off the rails but ransom himself at the end , a messianic young man , a quasi - religious order that has almost supernatural powers . And so on .
How did it improve upon the original ? The original Star Wars , in exceptional , is so beautifully executed and so full of energy , it ’s like nothing that came before it . Those distance dogfight aspect , and the Battle of Yavin , are completely gorgeous . And a million details in the original film are just sodding . include the Death Star , and the initiation of a villain who ’s a literal shadow , Darth Vader . Image viaMoongadget .
1 . The Borg and the Cybermen
What did they borrow ? This is what got me remember about writing this piece in the first seat . The similarity between Star Trek ’s cybernetic marauders and Doctor Who ’s formerly - human machine men are pretty prominent . They ’re both pure biological beings who have become bionic woman and lost their individuality and emotions along the way . And they both very absorbed on finding the great unwashed to win over into more of their variety . The Borg say , “ You will be assimilate . ” The Cybermen say , “ You will be like us . ”
How did it improve upon the original ? As an old - school Doctor Who fan , it ’s hard to admit , but Who never really followed the implications of the Cybermen to their wide-cut extent , until the new serial . Out of a dozen - odd Cybermen stories , only a handful of them even refer on the idea of the Cybermen judge to turn humans into Cybermen — it only really materialise on - screenland in “ Tomb of the Cybermen ” and “ Attack of the Cybermen . ” honest to their nature , the Borg perfected the idea of a cybernetic race that reproduce by assimilate biological creature . And the Borg total the musical theme of a hive mind , whereas the Cybermen deficiency individuality but still have to put up around talking to each other . Oh , and the Borg are creepier . figure byBenleto on Flickr .
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