In the book "The Memory of Earth", there are undeniable similarities between the ideas, characters, and plot, to the Book of Mormon. I was wondering why there is no reference to the BOM? At the copyright page, it clearly states the following:
"This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book, are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental."
How can Card say that this is purely coincidental when the similarities are so obvious to the LDS/OSC reader? Comparing Meb and Elya to Lamen and Lemuel, I find they are the same! Comparing Elemak to a river, and Mebbekew to a valley is exactly how Lehi compares Lamen and Lemuel in the BOM.
This would be great, I think to introduce someone into the BOM, but with the proper citing. Taking ideas and events from a copyrighted work is illegal. Which is exactly what Card has done here.
I was wondering how OSC can even consider himself an Author or a LDS if he is twisting the events described in the BOM and selling them for profit with no reference to the BOM in the entire work?
This came as a great shock to me, not only as a LDS member myself, but as an avid reader of OSC's work since I was 12 (I am 17 currently).
What my main question is, has this been brought up before? If so, has Card explained these similarities? What reasoning has he given pertaining to taking ideas from the BOM and not citing the source?
Posted by Winegar_Mike (Member # 10034) on :
Ahhh...Upon reading this, it is cited, but it still is not cited in the version of the book I am reading. Sorry about all the of "coincidental" stuff...Sorry for the confusion...
Posted by Miro (Member # 1178) on :
Glad I could help. Posted by Amanecer (Member # 4068) on :
You might also find this link interesting. It's an open letter that Card wrote regarding questions of plagiarism.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
I always get a kick out of this question. How many people who re-tell Shakespeare or include Biblical archetypes mention them in a bibliography, if at all? Very few. The Book of Mormon is more than 100 years old, and considered very influencial to millions of people. That alone is worthy of using it as inspirational material for a novel. Such sharing and retelling of pivotal narratives has been going on since writing started.
As for copywrite issues? First, the Book of Mormon is too old to have retained them by anyone other than particular editions. Second, I could (and others have) completely re-write Lord of the Rings, as long as the story is different enough and the characters do not conform to the original. Some have even said that, using the language of the critical, Lord of the Rings is a rip-off of one of German composer Wagner's works. Silly, considering Wagner used even older material.
Just remember, there is a difference between inspiration and plagerism. Of course, sometimes a court might need to decided which one a book does.
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