The World of L.J.Smith

Dark Visions vs. Gen 13

Warning: This is just a strange Coincidence that was brought to my attention and is no way a belief that these books are copied or such...it is just an objective and analytical article about the resemblance between the two works

It may contain spoilers!!!

Thank you Deirdre for helping me out where I went wrong!!!

The Background on the Dark Visions Trilogy:

This trilogy was written by L.J.Smith and was published by Archway paperbacks in 1995. It is about five teenagers that are brought together in a purple house in order to learn about their psychic powers and how to properly use them. What they don't find out until later on is that their benefactor is really training them to be dark agents for his own greedy purposes. Once they find this information out, they run away and try to defeat him. While they're gone, the benefactor brings about a negative group of the original and they must fight each other.

The Background on Gen 13 Comics:

This is a story about five teenagers that are brought together in a government agency (in a hill) to train for a summer program. In that time, they are changed into SPB (super power beings) and must find out what their powers are and how to control them. They too find out that their benefactor is evil and run away, trying to find a way to defeat her. While they are gone, the benefactor makes a new negative group of the original and they must fight each other.

Okay...let's start with the similarities now...
Characters:

Kaitlyn Fairchild vs. Caitlin Fairchild
(DV)Kaitlyn Fairchild-She has hair the color of flames and strange blue eyes...becomes the designated leader of her group.
(G13)Caitlin Fairchild-She has red hair and strange green eyes...she is also the leader of her group.
The Blunt view: AHH! THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME NAME!!!

Anna Eva Whiteraven vs. Sara Rainmaker
(DV) Anna Eva Whiteraven-She is a Susquamish indian with black hair and brown eyes. Can talk to animals.
(Gen13) Sara Rainmaker-She is Native American with black hair and brown eyes. Has the power of lightning but can also occasionally talk to animals.
The blunt view: Hmm...both Native American, similar powers, and look the same.

Lewis Chao vs. Roxanne Spaulding
(DV) Lewis Chao-He has Black hair and almond eyes...his power is psychokineses. The runt of the group.
(Gen13)Roxanne Spaulding (nickname is Freefall)-She has black hair with a pink strip and purple eyes...her power is mind over matter/removing forces of gravity. Also the 'runt' of the group...but she makes up for it.
The blunt view: Gee...both of them have the same powers and play similar roles within the group.

Okay...here's the part that I have trouble matching up. Rob has grunge's body but Gabriel has similar talents to Grunge.
Robert Kessler vs. Robert Lane
(DV)Robert Kessler-He's got blonde hair and golden eyes. His power is to channel and if you want to get technical...he gives energy and warmth. He's the soft guy of the group. He falls for Kaitlyn but ends up with Anna Whiteraven.
(Gen13)Robert Lane (nickname is burnout though)-He's got blondish hair and I'm not sure what color eyes. He's controls fire (warmth) and is also the soft one in the group. He falls for Rainmaker.
The blunt view: Once again...same name, similar role, same girl.

Gabriel Wolfe vs. Percival Chang
(DV)Gabriel Wolfe-Black hair and almost black eyes. He's a psychic vampire. He plays the bad guy in the group and seduces Kaitlyn.
(Gen13)Percival Chang (Grunge)- He has blackish brown hair and brownish eyes. He's the bad guy in the group and seduces Caitlin.
The blunt view: Don't leftovers stink?

Overall blunt view: On top of all the regular stuff...there are five Dark Visions members (two girls and three guys) and five Gen 13 members (three girls and two guys).

Similarities between the Negative group in DV8 (Gen13) and the ones from Dark Visions
Jackal Mac vs. Evo
(DV)Jackal Mac(John MacCorkendale)-Dark evil eyes with little hair...very big. Has the power of astral projection. Real ugly and has no heart.
(Gen13)Michael Heller(Evo)-He's very crude and unpleasant...not much of a heart.
The blunt view: Both of them play the same role and are outcasted by society.

Gabriel Wolfe vs. Frost bite
(DV)Gabriel Wolfe-White skin and black hair...strange eyes. He is the most in control of the group. He is the leader of the group. Frost tries to seduce him all the time but it doesn't interest him. He's a psychic vampire.
(Gen13)Frost Bite (real name is Leon Carver)-Dark skin...used to have black hair but now it is dyed. He is level headed and the one that is most in control. Could be the leader of the group. Copycat tries to seduce him all the time but to no avail. He can change the temperatur of things.
The blunt view: Both are unofficial leaders of the group and have another member from the group trying to seduce them. They are the level-headed ones.

Renny vs. Powerhaus
(DV) Renny(Paul Renfrew)-Glasses narrow and thin, has the power of psychokinesis.The smart kid gone bad.
(Gen13)Powerhaus( real name is Hector Morales)-Dark evil eyes with little black hair...very small until he absorbs another person's power and then he gets bigger. Has the power to turn big. Very smart.
The blunt view: Both of them are the brians behind the operation.

Bri vs. Sublime
(DV)Bri(Sabrina Jessica Gallo)-Dark hair and a vivid face. She is strong at Dowsing. One of the first ones to realize that what they were doing might not be right.
(Gen13)Sublime(Rachel Goldman)-Blonde hair and blue eyes...kind of quiet in her power area. First one to really recognize that they were minature dolls for Ivanna.
The blunt view: same role...not much else.

Frost vs. Copycat
(DV)Laurie Frost(nickname is frost)-She has the looks of Frost but the powers of Copycat. Blonde hair with a beautiful face and long silvery nails. One touch of a person and she knows there whole life. She is also like Copycat in the way she tries to seduce Gabriel all the time but to no avail.
(Gen13)Copycat-Pinkish hair and eyes. Has the power to control someone's mind with one touch. She tries to seduce Frostbite all the time but to no avail.
The blunt view: They both try to seduce another member of their group and have similar powers.

Mr. Zetes vs. Ivana
Mr. Zetes-He was originally the benefactor of the Kaitlyn's group but he turned on them when they turned him down. So he pulled out the other (negative) group and took over Kaitlyn and her friends. He's cold, greedy, calulating...and regal.
Ivana-She was originally the benefactor of Caitlin's group and the other gen-active groups. As soon as her planned failed and Caitlin's group got away, she brought in DV8 to get get Caitlin and the others. She's greedy, cold, calculating...and regal.
The blunt view: They act the same, they take the same steps, they're almost mirror images of each other.

Joyce Piper vs. Threshold
Joyce Piper-She is Mr. Zetes carry-out person and is the one to test out and shape the power of Kaitlyn and her friends so that he can use them later. She tricks the kids into thinking that she's good at first but then they realize what's going on and turn away from her. I think Kaitlyn is the one to figure it all out. She was being controlled by Mr. Zetes with drugs and the power of the crystal.
Threshold-He is Ivanna's carry-out person and is the one to test and make Caitlin's friends manafest their powers so that Ivanna can use them later. He tricks the kids into thinking that he's a good guy but then Caitlin's figures it out. He is being controlled by Ivanna through love and drugs.
The blunt view: They are also mirror images of each other. Same attitudes and roles in the book.

Mr. Zetes daughter vs. Bliss
Mr. Zetes daughter-She is usually lurking behind the shadows and is there to stay under her father's thumb. One of the team members fall in love with her (Lewis Chao) and she ends up going to Kaitlyn's group for a while and then returns to the negative group.
Bliss (Nicole Callahan)-She is usually lurking at the place under Ivanna's rules and Threshold's thumb. One of the teammates (Burnout) falls in love with her and she ends up going to Caitlin's group for a while and then returns to the negative group.

More Similarities:

  • The Crystal Shard people take care of the kids in Dark Visions while Mr. Lynch takes care of the kids in Gen 13.
  • Both are being used by a psycho person and run away.
  • Both Gabriel and Grunge are the last ones to show their powers
    'Nough said.

    Please e-mail me if you have any analytical statements that relate to L.J.Smith and her works at diana_sc@hotmail.com

    The information contained on this page has been taken from the "Dark Visions", a trilogy written by L.J.Smith and published by Archway books. All rights are reserved. This page is strictly for entertainment use only.