I’m not really sure how to start this blog post. In fact, I’m posting it as insurance, so I suppose the best thing to do is simply copy the email I sent to Havok Publishing on January 26, 2023.
In 2021, Abigail Falanga beta read the opening of my novel Vortex, which I subsequently published on May 3, 2022. The next month, the Fellowship of Fantasy Indie Book Club Facebook group chose Vortex for their monthly read. In the group’s regular spoiler thread on June 16, Abigail commented, “I realized that the short story [“The Gnat”] I published today was probably slightly inspired by the original first chapter, which I beta read a long time ago!”
I brushed off “probably slightly inspired” as just what sounded like, but I eventually became curious about exactly how my book had inspired her piece. In late December, I purchased a Havok membership and read it. I now have some concerns about how similar some of the details are, including but not limited to the examples below:
“The Gnat”: The first thing you notice is light—cool and soft white, pervasive and blank.
Vortex: Coralie woke to the benign amber illumination that was her constant companion.“The Gnat”: It’s not that unpleasant—comfortable, if you don’t think about cramps. You could sleep…
Vortex: Her lower back was cramped. It had been cramped for several sleep cycles now.“The Gnat”: You examine the blank whiteness more closely. It’s a smooth, featureless matte surface only inches from your eyes.
Vortex: The inoffensive cream plastic ceiling was only ten centimeters above her nose, and her ability to focus at a distance had deteriorated to the point she couldn’t see over her chest, except as a beige blur.“The Gnat”: Sudden, vivid shapes and colors, movement, forms… a person?
Vortex: Kinnard’s blurry shadow flittered about her, surrounded by a few others—likely medics, the ones responsible for this torture.“The Gnat”: Your voice is dull and flat and falls back to your ears—where, by the way, you now have a tickle, behind the left one.
Vortex: …the tears stopped, though a few leftovers tracked down the corner of her eye, itching as they settled behind her ear.I am aware that ideas cannot be copyrighted, but it’s my belief this goes beyond an idea, especially since she has admitted to being “inspired by” a novel she beta read (to clarify her comment here, there is no “original first chapter” to Vortex—Abigail was asked to read a late version for comments on voice, and the scene she read is identical to the published version aside from copyediting). Additionally, since there is a substantial overlap in audience between Havok readers and the Fellowship of Fantasy Indie Book Club, and because the copyright dates are within six weeks of each other, I have concerns that any future accusations of plagiarism might flow in the opposite direction.
In a comment on gohavok.com, Abigail claims, “This story was inspired by thinking about what the absolute worst situation would be to find oneself in if one was claustrophobic… And then making it worse! A sci-fi setting opened up new possibilities.” This is in direct contradiction to her casual, public statement on Facebook. I find the comments to be an attempt to disguise the origin of her story and feel both show intent.
To be clear, I don’t place any blame on Havok for publishing the piece—from what I understand of your acquisition process, Vortex was unpublished at the time Abigail submitted “The Gnat,” thus limiting the number of people who might have noticed the similarities. But because of these similarities, which only exist because of a breach of trust by a beta reader, I am requesting Havok remove “The Gnat” from its website.
On a personal and more altruistic note, I met Abby in person at Realm Makers 2022. I like her, and I’ve always been impressed by her drive and productivity, which is why I hesitated in sending this email. But I’m also aware of her career goals as a professional writer, and I believe ignoring this issue shows an excusal of plagiarism on my part that would be counterproductive in supporting that goal.
I’ve attached both the opening chapter of Vortex and screenshots of Abigail’s comments in the Fellowship of Fantasy Indie Book Club group and Havok website.
Regards,
Anne Wheeler
Havok did not believe the similarities rose to the legal level of plagiarism and has declined to remove the story. At the time of this post, Abigail has been likewise unwilling to work with me, despite my request to come up with a solution we could both benefit from. And so my concern remains: that any future accusations of plagiarism might flow in my direction. That’s the sole reason I have for posting this here.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and as an author, it looks I’ve been flattered. Next time there’s a free weekend on Havok, drop by and read their flash piece “The Gnat.” Thanks, Abby. Glad Vortex made an impression on you.