Artemis Fowl - can I still tell Fowl Tales?

AnyaKimlin

AnyaKimlin

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Mayhem has become
Mayhem: A Fowl Tale
and Tendril: The Second Fowl Tale

And I've taken on the tag line Fowl Tales of Magic, Wings and Other Things

But then I remembered about Artemis Fowl - I only read a bit of the first one and it didn't engage me. It doesn't appear to be like my stories but is it a problem?
 
They're very famous, which might be an issue? If I saw those titles, I'd assume they were connected to Artemis Fowl, but my boys were obsessed by the books for the whole of last summer, so I might not be the most neutral observer.
 
It does feel a bit uncomfortably close. "A Fowl Tale" sounds as though it might be about someone called Fowl (as in "A Miss Marple Mystery") and that would likely provoke thoughts of Artemis Fowl.

But I thought (based on the limited amount I've gleaned) that the bird element to your story was to do with birds of prey. If so, I wonder if it's actually an appropriate word anyway, since fowl are birds that are kept or hunted for food.
 
If birds are in there (sounds like it) then I'd say Fowl is fine. But if not then maybe problem by association. I think the way it is phrased helps as well to be ok though, as punning on foul and fowl :)

Artemis Fowl is an irish fairy "leprechaun", with heists, hijinks and crime/thriller, genius boy type thing. So if you're not doing that you should be fine.
 
AnyaKimlin said:
I only read a bit of the first one and it didn't engage me
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I've read four (recently) and though it's nuts, I love them.

But that's irrelevant. Technically you can even use the SAME title.
I think it's irrelevant what is in your books vs the Artemis Fowl books, or how good or bad the Artemis books are.
  • Mayhem: A Fowl Tale
  • Tendril: The Second Fowl Tale
vs
  • Artemis Fowl
  • Artemis Fowl: The Graphic Novel
  • Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident
  • Artemis Fowl and the eternity code
  • Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception
  • Artemis Fowl and the Lost Colony
  • Artemis Fowl and the Time Paradox
It doesn't look to me like you are trying to jump on Eoin Colfer's coat tails (tales?).

OK both sets have "Fowl" in them. Not much more significant than having Mystery or Adventure in the Title (not just Enid Blyton).

I think you worrying too much. Also "ARTEMIS FOWL" is the entire spine on every book in the series with the rest overprinted small.

Now if your pen name was Owen Golfer ...
 
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I've read all the Artemis Fowl books at least several times, and I love them.

Which has nothing to do with the fact that I agree with Ray that it doesn't really look confusing if you were to use the word Fowl in your titles. Especially if they won't be anywhere near each other on the shelf, by your names. There are quite a few different uses of "Fowl Play" in book titles, as well as "Murder Most Fowl", "Fowl Prey", etc.
 
It involves birds of all descriptions and fowl used to mean all kinds of birds and I know I am stretching it. The main series bird is a swan.

I have considered

Mayhem: A Swan's Song
 
I like the Mayhem: A fowl Tale, much better than Mayhem: A Swan's Song. I agree that legally you are in no trouble at all, especially considering that the other series has Artemis Foul: _________ as the title. I would never confuse the two.
 
Ray McCarthy said:
But "Swan song" may be wrong impression. It suggests endings as traditionally the swan was only supposed to sing just before it died. I think "Mayhem: A Fowl Tale" is fine.
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It's actually not entirely the wrong impression - I've written the last book. Could be First Lamentation of the Swan
 
Parson said:
I like the Mayhem: A fowl Tale, much better than Mayhem: A Swan's Song. I agree that legally you are in no trouble at all, especially considering that the other series has Artemis Foul: _________ as the title. I would never confuse the two.
Click to expand...

I like it too - it was more a similarity issue as I know legally I can.
 
I had never heard of Artemis Fowl before this thread. I checked the similar threads below about "Artemis Fowl." I wondered if it was something I might read to my grand children, (sounded a little too mature for them) and I came up with this bit from Wiki:

On September 1, 2015, Variety reported that Kenneth Branagh had been hired to direct the film for Disney, with Irish playwright Conor McPherson as screenwriter and Judy Hofflund as an executive producer.[3] Eoin Colfer confirmed this in a video to Artemis Fowl Confidential,[20] and spoke with RTE Radio 1 about meeting Branagh several times to discuss this prior to the announcement.[21]
 
Hmm ... thing is it might not hurt my book if it comes out after I get my book out. (Should be after if it's just begun)

I was wedded to Fowl Tales as well ;)
 
Parson said:
I wondered if it was something I might read to my grand children,
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The contents are better than the blurb suggests, it depends what age they are. Read one yourself, ideally the first.
Artemis discovers there is more to life than power and money, as does his dad. He reforms in a way.
Personally I'd wait till my eldest grandchild is a year older and let him borrow mine (he's very advanced reader at age 8 now). I think they are really at a young teenage level to Adult, I don't think younger kids would have the patience.
 
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