Cthulhu and DOS

[nortonew]

It occurred to me that Lovecraft's idea of encouraging others to write stories based on his mythos is rather similar to Microsoft's encouraging companies to produce clones of the IBM PC.

Both of them caused a small idea to burgeon into something huge by encouraging others to work within a framework they had devised.

The development of the concept of many writers creating works based on the mythos has probably gone a long way in immortalizing the works of Lovecraft.

I wonder what would have happened if Tolkein had encouraged others to develop tales based in Middle Earth? Of course, the fantasy writing phenomenon is close to the same thing. Authors tend to just make up worlds of their own that have only slight variations from Middle Earth.

[Guest]

It occurred to me that Lovecraft's idea of encouraging others to write stories based on his mythos is rather similar to Microsoft's encouraging companies to produce clones of the IBM PC.

Both of them caused a small idea to burgeon into something huge by encouraging others to work within a framework they had devised.
from Middle Earth.

[E.A. Lovecraft]

I wonder what would have happened if Tolkein had encouraged others to develop tales based in Middle Earth?

Tolkien expressed a desire for others to expand Middle-earth. Unfortunately, the powers in control of his estate see otherwise.

[Aleister]

First I have heard of this.. Very interesting.

I like Tolkien but I have not read as much (or in-depth studies) as I have of Lovecraft.

I suppose if someone is looking just at the money side if it, and looking at the way most people are these days with such things, they would think somehow they would loose money. I do not see this as much of a problem though!

What else could their motivation be for this?

[E.A. Lovecraft]

What else could their motivation be for this?

Besides the afore-mentioned possible loss of money? Snobbery and elitism would be my guess. One of Tolkien's heirs was cut from the estate for daring to admit that he liked the movies.

[Aleister]

Yikes! That is quite severe. Where did you hear that?

[E.A. Lovecraft]

Yahoo news, I think.