Anthony wrote:
"A writer data mines within their own body of work ... so
what?"
I wasn't aware that anyone here had placed a value judgement
on this practice. I certainly didn't when I brought the
subject up. I found it very interesting how McBain converted
earlier short story material in Mugger, what he retained,
what he adapted. I think it gives us insight into a writer's
craft (same reason people want to study an author's various
drafts or editions). This is especially true of the stories
in Chandler's Killer In the Rain anthology. It's very
interesting to see how those plots became subplots in his
later novels.
I wonder, though, if any publishers have tried to sue, or get
remuneration for authors' recycling of stories on which they
might hold the copyright. In music, didn't Saul Zaentz (sp?)
sue John Fogerty for recycling his own tune, Run Through the
Jungle (for which Zantz held the copyright) in Old Man Down
the Road? I think it was settled, so there was no legal
precedent, but couldn't the same happen with fiction? I know
people have at least threatened to sue over stolen plots
(John MacDonald over Dimitri Gat's borrowings in his Nevsky
books), so couldn't a copyright holder, at least
theoretically (and where there's a legal theory, there's
usually a lawyer), sue an author for borrowing from himself?
Has this happened?
Mark
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