Many people say there are A LOT of similarities between Eragon and other books (ex:star wars)..more inside?

Question

So, what are the similarities between Eragon and Star wars (and other books if you know about)?

The other question is, what is the line between plagiarism and original work? i mean, if i write a book where and boy(at one month old) loses his parents when an evil power kills them. (Would that be a plagiarism from Harry potter or not, of course say the rest of the story is totally different, except for that magic exists in the story)?

Answer 1

Wow, someone else noticed. Just for the record, before I list all the similarities, I would like to say I still like the story Eragon, and Eldest.

Eragon is a teenage farm boy who comes back to the farm to find his uncle burned (Star Wars). Horrified, he beseechingly asks an old man for help (Obi Wan, Star Wars again). This old man turns out to have been a member of a secret organization, (Obi Wan as a Jedi, Brom as a Rider). Eragon is suddenly thrown into a world of magic and mystery at such a young age (Harry Potter). Much later in the story, a young man named Murtagh enters his life, who Eragon later discovers is his brother (Luke and Leia, Star Wars yet again). And in discovering his relation to Murtagh, he learns his father was Morzan, right-hand man of Galbatorix, evil ruler of the kingdom (one step away from Vader, Star Wars still once again). The whole story is also similar to Lord of the Rings, because of the setting; sort of medieval, learning swordsmanship and archery, with elves, dwarves, and Urgals (one step away from Uruk-Hai, LOTR). That's quite a lot, isn't it?

As for plagiarism, as long as you don't make it too close to the other story, I think it will be fine. You can't have a character named Harry Potter, and can't get too close to her written work, but otherwise it's hard to come up with a totally new idea.

I would like to pose a theory, by the way. Eragon's mother, Selena, managed to escape Morzan's castle, and slipped away for months. When Murtagh describes this (right after they get inside with the Varden), he says she went away for a long time, and when she came back, she was very weak. That's because she had a baby while she was gone: Eragon. But this could be what Paolini is going for: I think Brom is Eragon's father, not Morzan. Just after Eragon and Brom visit Jeod, Brom admits to Eragon he knew Selena "well enough to miss her when she was gone." Also, near the end of the first book, the witch Angela tells of a woman Brom loved, but it was his affection that was her undoing. That could very well be Selena she was referring to. So, what do you think on that theory?

Answer 2

I had a hard time getting into the book for that reason. The difference between Eragon and plagiarism is that the author borrows fantasy elements that appear in many fantasy works and he borrows from many different fantasy/legend traditions. Including elements like orcs, elves, and talking dragons isn't plagiarism because they appear in so many sources that it would be difficult to make the argument that the new book was copying a specific source.

General plot themes are also not plagiarism. The example you cite of lost parents is common in the fantasy genre, as is the coming-of-age-assisted-by-a-supernatural-being story. While the author (sorry, can't remember his name) certainly didn't come up with anything particularly original, he did not commit plagiarism.

Answer 3

'The books also have many similarities to the "Eye of the World" series. Most are just similarities in groups or cultures, such as the traveling traders that come to the town in the beginning of book one.

As for the first answers theory....who Eragons' father was explained in the second book.

Answer 4

something via Cornelia Funke (i.e. the theif lord, inkheart, inkspell, dragon rider) The "His darkish factors" series "get away from memory" those are a number of my favorites, all very fantasical and adventerous. appreciate!