Furies

[DHBirr]

I just thought I'd toss out this little question.
At least twelve years ago, Mercedes Lackey wrote a song, "Eumenides," which she describes as inspired by "a moment of mixed self-pity and rage." (I love it, by the way, although I don't even want to think about what Doug's power would make of it.)
About fifteen years ago, David Weber wrote a book titled Path of the Fury (recently revised and republished under a different title which I can't at the moment recall).
The song and the book have an essentially identical plot -- but neither writer has, so far as I know, given the other any credit for inspiration. I suppose it's possible that each came up with the idea independently -- but....
Does anyone here know any facts/explanation about this that I've missed? I've wondered about this one ever since I read Path of the Fury and thought, "Hey! This is 'Eumenides'!"
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Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[ECSNorway]

Far as I know, it's totally coincidental...
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[bmull]

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About fifteen years ago, David Weber wrote a book titled Path of the Fury (recently revised and republished under a different title which I can't at the moment recall).

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It was released as In Fury Born and includes the back story of DeVries in the Cadre up to the incident on Shallingsport.

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The song and the book have an essentially identical plot -- but neither writer has, so far as I know, given the other any credit for inspiration. I suppose it's possible that each came up with the idea independently -- but....

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I had not heard of Eumenides before, but a quick search of the lyrics makes me believe that Lackey had to have based the song on the book. As you said, and I agree, the song and the story have essentially the same plot.
edit: Fixed my though error; originally swapped book and song ^_^

[Bob Schroeck]

We have a lot of Lackey's music on casette tapes from Firebird, but we haven't listened to most of it in a while, and I only vaguely remember "Eumenides". However, knowing some of the other songs in she's written are filks ("Signy Mallory", for instance), it's entirely possible it's inspired by Weber's book -- assuming, of course, that the respective composition dates work out correctly.-- Bob
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One of the primary differences between the Left and the Right is their attitude toward the Future. The Radical wants the Future to have gotten here yesterday. The Reactionary wants the Future quietly shot and the corpse buried where no one can find it.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Feinan]

Actually, the song is older than the book. "Eumenides" first appeared on Murder, Mystery & Mayhem by Off Centaur Publications in 1985. Path of the Fury wasn't published until 1992. I was around when David was asked about the coincidence of it, and he said he'd never heard the song before he wrote the book. Apparently, it IS a total coincidence...which is rather neat in and of itself.

[DHBirr]

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I was around when David was asked about the coincidence of it, and he said he'd never heard the song before he wrote the book.

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Well, that's definitive ... and I agree, that is a cool coincidence.
Mooses gracious.
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Big Brother is watching you.  And damn, you are so bloody BORING.

[bmull]

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Well, that's definitive ... and I agree, that is a cool coincidence.

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Agreed, that's as definitive as a person can get.