Kids try, but they just can’t beat the original masters
Fans of Phanom Thian, author of the classic jungle-adventure novel series “Petch Pra Uma”, are rallying to his defence after he came in for fierce criticism for demanding an end to copycat versions.
Thailand has thus become the latest battlefield in the war over fan fiction (“fanfic” for short), which is based on original material but usually heedless of copyright.
Having your fans generate their own work based on your TV series, movie, novel or manga does appeal to some writers. JK Rowling says she’s “flattered” when her fans write stories featuring her Harry Potter characters. Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight books that have been turned into blockbuster films, even has links on her website to fan-fiction sites full of her sparkly vampire and werewolf heroes.
On the other hand, Anne Rice – who’s done a nice trade in ghouls herself – has worked hard to block fans from running off with her “Interview with a Vampire” and its sequels. And National Artist Chatchai Visessuwanpoom, better known as Phanom Thian, is on her side.
Appalled to find all sorts of unauthorised reincarnations of “Petch Pra Uma” online, he recently demanded that they be deleted, or else those writing them and hosting them would face legal action. Most of the Web boards where the jungle fanfic is hosted quickly obliged, and Phanom Thian posted a message of gratitude. “I don’t know whether they’ll come back or not,” he added, “but if they do, I will definitely sue.
“If somebody wants to write a sequel to my book, which is a ‘complete’ novel, I think they have to explain why. I’ve written a story that’s complete in itself, so how could they write a sequel? If they insist on doing it, the next question is ‘Would it be just as I would have written it?’”
A sequel written in someone else’s hand would only undermine the value of the original, Phanom Thian said. And he’s not happy that the fanfic writers have altered his characters, “which spoils my book. Some of their characters are even having sex all the time, which ruins the original story.”
He has his points, but some of the fans think he’s being ungenerous. Here’s a typical reaction on Pantip.com: “I’m upset with the writer. I think he’s too narrow-minded. Fanfic brings more readers to his novel.” Another commentator doubted that “Petch Pra Uma” would still be as popular if it weren’t for the fanfic maintaining public interest. “Kids these days barely even know about the novel!”
Those who do know “Petch Pra Uma” almost by heart came to the author’s defence. Phanom Thian “has no need to rely on fanfic forever”, someone said. “The ‘Petch Pra Uma’ series are classics. I read them 10 years ago and I still enjoy rereading them. It’s the kind of novel that’s passed down from generation to generation, from parents to their children. Fanfic has nothing to do with its popularity.”
Another fan better attuned to the law chimed in: “Fanfic is an infringement on rights, so it’s wrong from the start. If the copyright holder says he doesn’t want fans using his characters, we should respect that. It’s very reasonable, so please stop whining that the writer is being narrow-minded!”
