Adaptations and borrowing..

Cruising through the public library yesterday I came across a copy of a
long ago Poul Anderson novel *The Game of Empire. *"First new Flandry novel
in years" is the blurb on the cover- published in 1985 as it turns out. I
loved the Flandry stories all those years ago, and did not remember reading
this one.

About two pages in I started thinking "this reads a whole lot like the
opening chapter of Kipling's *Kim." *A bit more and a religious pilgrim
appears. Along towards the end of the chapter he refers to the other
character as "...little sprite of all the world."  Which nailed it for me.

Which brought up the question in my mind: how many other writers/stories
owe greater or large amounts to earlier writers? David Drake makes no bones
about his RCN series having roots in Patrick O'Brian's nautical tales,
although his plots are drawn from history back. I suspect Shakespeare must
have contributed a plot or two. What else occurs to the assembled readers
as having roots in other literary streams? Some must be obvious, maybe not
others. Discussion should ensue.

charley

-- 
Charley
Desert Sailor