In recent years, many newly written novels have been compared to stories that have been told in the past; with some even going so far that the authors are accused of plagiarism. This drew people to the question of whether or not any modern books are original, and if they are, why doesn’t it feel like it?
Powerless by Lauren Roberts is a book written in 2023 that brought up questions of theft because it had so much in common with Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard, which came out in 2015. Whether or not these books are legally plagiarized has not yet been resolved. However, in many cases where books are compared to others, they simply have similar themes or plot points with no cause for genuine concern.
Many themes that are present in current books have been used in all forms of literature throughout history, such as the Hero’s Journey. It is also common for authors to use similar story structures.
Additionally, there are specific structures associated with different story genres that nearly every book in the category follows, making them seem more similar than they may actually be.
Multiple extremely popular books, such as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, are intricately based on real life events such as the gladiatorial combat based in Roman civilizations. However, these books are still considered to be modern classics despite this.
This is because the authors took the concept of publicized fights and added their own stories and characters to it. Many novels that are called copies of others also have a variety of original features. The problem isn’t that the books are copied, but it’s that the parts that aren’t as good as the unoriginal parts.
Writer Samuel Johnson was credited with saying, “Your manuscript is both good and original. But the part that is good is not original, and the part that is original is not good.”
Books that are often considered both good and original are classics by people like George Orwell, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Mary Shelly. However, when hearing these names the books that come to mind are along the lines of Crime and Punishment and Frankenstein, not their first manuscripts.
Unpopular or even objectively bad books do not originate in the twenty-first century; what’s changed is the amount and speed of publicity that occurs for these books everyday.
One of the main reasons for the increase of only specific books being presented to the public is not that they are the only books being written, but rather that they are the ones that make a profit.
Social media has had an increasing impact on what books become popular. While this can allow new and independent authors to be able to publicize their books, it more often results in algorithms pushing videos and creators that immediately become popular. The more popular a book, the more likely it is to turn a profit.
In the past few years, romance books have become increasingly popular leading publishers to be more likely to push an author’s work if it includes those themes.
The romance genre has a very specific format whether it takes place in a fantasy, science fiction, or a contemporary setting. The structure includes a set-up, conflict (often known as a third act break up), and a resolution. Due to the following outline, many romance novels can be read very similarly.
This however, is part of the reason why these books are sought after. People in the past few years have developed an ever growing need for comfort and familiarity. In an age of so much movement, change, and chaos people have been seeking something to hold on to. A story is a medium that can do just that.
Publishing goes through trends in the same way that expressions like fashion do. While current novels are reminiscing on the past, the popularity of one story will change once again.
