CRACKING THE DAN BROWN CODE

Yes, I got as tired of posting about the Da Vinci Code as you got of reading the posts. But it appears that Dan Brown may be in hot water for plagiarism:

Controversy in the press surrounding 'Da Vinci Code' author Dan Brown, just beginning to fade, will likely revive later this week when the July issue of Vanity Fair hits the stands. According to an advance copy, the magazine's contributing editor Seth Mnookin alleges -- in a massive article titled 'DaVinci Clone?' -- two new instances of possible plagiarism in Brown's past. Two textual analysis experts also tell him they believe Brown borrowed the plot for his book from Lewis Perdue's 'Daughter of God.'

The two libel experts say they are convinced Brown borrowed heavily from the Perdue book, despite Brown's recent victory in court. John Olsson, the director of Britain's Forensic Linguistics Institute, said, 'This is the most blatant example of in-your-face plagiarism I've ever seen. It just goes on and on. There are literally hundreds of parallels.'

Brown did not respond to requests for comment from Vanity Fair.

Mnookin also cites an incident in which Brown copied for 'The DaVinci Code' an exact passage from the paper 'Leonardo's Lost Robot,' written by robotics expert Mark Rosheim. Brown's publisher, Doubleday, said it was covered under fair-use. Rosheim says, 'Every now and then I'll be giving a talk and someone will come in with The Da Vinci Code and ask me to sign a copy. Either that or they'll accuse me of copying him.'

Finally, Mnookin offers evidence that he says may link Brown's wife, Blythe, to a spate of 'mysterious' e-mails that Perdue has received, coming from one 'Ahamedd Saaddodeen.'

That Dan Brown has had few original thoughts is no surprise. That other people exist whose ideas can be lifted for such a book is downright disturbing. That Brown's wife is sending harassing emails signed with a Middle Eastern nom de plume is just odd.