# PacMan and The Protector

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 30, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236 "2002-09-30T13:07:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bindlestiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bindlestiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bindlestiff)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236/1 "2002-09-30T13:07:13Z")

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Has anyone besides me ever noticed the resemblence between Larry Niven’s novel “The Protector” and the game “PacMan”? The novel was published in '73 and the game came out in '80 or '81. The stated inspiration for the game is from Japanese mythology. Maybe that was the inspiration for the novel, but it doesn’t seem like it. Maybe it’s just wild-ass coincidence.

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**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236/2 "2002-09-30T13:27:32Z")

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So who’s the video counterpart of Brennan? Inky, Blinky, Pinky or Clyde?

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236/3 "2002-09-30T13:31:34Z")

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I’m not really following your logic. In other words, no I haven’t noticed any resemblence.

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**Author:** ![Bindlestiff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bindlestiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bindlestiff)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2002, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pacman-and-the-protector/130236/4 "2002-09-30T14:17:16Z")

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Well,

it’s been a long time since I read it, but the protector zooms all over the galaxy zapping bad guys, he has a mouth that can only make the sound “pak” and every now and then he must eat a golden yam to stay alive.

I probably should re-read the story. I’ve before never had the question pop into my mind when I had a forum of informed people like this to discuss it with.