Legality of an anthology of stories entitled 'Horrors in Mist'

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Christinna Viruet

New Member
Apr 6, 2016
2
6
I hope to get an answer from the legal team or anyone with some modicum of authority in such matters.
I write with a group of horror writers and I was wondering if it would be legal to create an anthology of stories that take place concurrently with the events of Mr. Kings 'The Mist', title it 'Horrors in Mist', and state explicitly that the stories are taking place in the world of The Mist and during the same time frame. I would like to make this a truly beautiful book with illustrations as well. Can I do it?
 

Mr Nobody

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2008
3,306
9,050
Walsall, England
Which isn't necessarily to say you can't collectively create a world shrouded in mist and peopled by characters and critters of your own invention. You just can't link it to SK's story in any way, i.e. by delving into the secrets of the Arrowhead Project (or even mentioning it), mentioning his characters or creatures by name or description (even the peripheral dudes in the convenience store), mentioning by name or otherwise describe any of the locations from, or having 'origins' type stories leading up to the events described in the story.
Oh, and it'd have to be different enough to not be an obvious 'inspired by' piece of work besides, so any hint of mirroring or generally similar events would have to be studiously avoided (in much the same way as you could write about mobile, carnivorous, murderous plants - just don't dare call them Triffids or go near the plot lines of the original novel, or even name the things too closely!)
So, you can write what you like about a Mist, you just can't go anywhere near SK's (The)Mist. It can be done. Dean Koontz used a mist with odd critters roaming around in The Taking without beginning to approach Stephen's earlier work, for example. (Unless toes were trodden on that I'm not aware of. Ms Mod would be able to clarify, I'm sure. :smile2:)
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
Which isn't necessarily to say you can't collectively create a world shrouded in mist and peopled by characters and critters of your own invention. You just can't link it to SK's story in any way, i.e. by delving into the secrets of the Arrowhead Project (or even mentioning it), mentioning his characters or creatures by name or description (even the peripheral dudes in the convenience store), mentioning by name or otherwise describe any of the locations from, or having 'origins' type stories leading up to the events described in the story.
Oh, and it'd have to be different enough to not be an obvious 'inspired by' piece of work besides, so any hint of mirroring or generally similar events would have to be studiously avoided (in much the same way as you could write about mobile, carnivorous, murderous plants - just don't dare call them Triffids or go near the plot lines of the original novel, or even name the things too closely!)
So, you can write what you like about a Mist, you just can't go anywhere near SK's (The)Mist. It can be done. Dean Koontz used a mist with odd critters roaming around in The Taking without beginning to approach Stephen's earlier work, for example. (Unless toes were trodden on that I'm not aware of. Ms Mod would be able to clarify, I'm sure. :smile2:)
...well, she DOES have a modicum of authority....:biggrin2: