# Are the Percy Jackson books as much of a ripoff of Harry Potter as they seem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 3, 2010, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454 "2010-02-03T00:02:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/21 "2010-02-08T21:59:49Z")
Charlie Bone is a rip off of HP. Percy Jackson is not. Yes, PJ and HP are both fantasty, this means there will be magic and big dark bad guys who do magic. They are both Hero Journey stories, so both will have the wise mentor and the supportive friends. It’s not so much that PJ ripped off HP as both of them follow a pretty standard plot sequence. Kid finds out he’s special-----\>bad things happen-----\>kid learns more about special self stuff-----\>more serious bad things happen-----\>small break for kid to catch breath and enjoy friends-----\>more serious bad stuff happens-----\>kid is discouraged------\>kid gets emotional boost usually from mentor or friend-----\>kid takes on bad guy and wins. You might notice this is also the basic plot sequence for every action adventure movie ever written. The PJ movie will look a lot like the HP1 movie because they gave it to the same director. This, IMHO, was a very bad idea. I didn’t like HP1 the movie. They guy has no clue how to direct children. They come out stilted and awkward. Once another director got the HP movies we discovered that most of the HP cast can actually act. What a surprise. Well, unfortunately not Malfoy but we can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/22 "2010-02-09T02:21:03Z")
> [@middleman](#): > > I don’t think the Percy Jackson books would have been written had Harry Potter not been a smash. I have not read HP, but I am into the second PJ (reading it to my son). > > Though I have not read HP, and have only seen the first film, I have not lived under a rock for the last decade and I am familiar enough with the HP universe to see some strong similarities. > . > . > . > > Some of these are generic themes or plotlines across much of fiction. But I think what stands out is the uber-villain and the camp/school for specials.! No, there has always been a market for YA Fantasy, see Susan Cooper, et al. But yes, they would have not been heavily marketed or a movie made. Most of those are very generic with YA Fantasy. In any case, in PJ, the school is a side issue,most of the adventures are out in the Real World, just the opposite with HP. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/23 "2010-02-09T03:04:31Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > And for another example of what I mean, [this is how they originally marketed](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1744277504/tt0093605) the 1987 Vampire film _Near Dark_ and [this is how](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm679380992/tt0093605) they are doing it now, post _Twilight_. It’s just sad and pathetic, and irritatingly misleading. I can’t see how they really think they’re fooling anyone. Check out Wuthering Heights [Wuthering Heights](http://shelf-life.ew.com/2009/09/01/twilight-wuthering-heights/) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/24 "2010-02-09T03:10:45Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > I could have written this sentence, including the age and gender. My 14 year old daughter and most of her friends have also read these. She is a bit older than upper elementary, but I’ve not read any of the books myself, so no idea how accurate that bit is. My son started reading these in elementary school, but of course he also read all of the Harry Potter books (several times) whilst in elementary school. See you at the movies, then! And **Palo Verde** –#2 son\* wants to learn Greek! (I asked him if he would settle for Latin, but no, it’s Greek all the way. Where in hell am I going to find a Greek tutor in Midwest suburbia?) 🙂 \*for internet purposes, I have 2 sons: #1 and #2. #1 is 18, #2 is 11. I also have Daughter, but she’s in a class by herself… (she’s 20). The numbers refer only to birth order. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/25 "2010-02-09T05:46:46Z")
Random question - are the Greek Gods rather jerks? It kinda sounds lie they’re doing what the Greek Gods usually do: have a bunch of bastards and leave them with a pile of magical goodies, then take off with the next hot babymama, while punishing random people. I mean, I guess I’m biased, since I’ve read too many Greek myths, but the villains must be really nasty if the Greek Gods are presented in any way heroic. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454/26 "2010-02-09T05:50:42Z")
The climax of all the books (I won’t give away the exciting parts) is Percy lecturing the gods on mistreating their children and basically acting like jerks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-percy-jackson-books-as-much-of-a-ripoff-of-harry-potter-as-they-seem/527454.md?page=1)