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[tomswift2002]

No, I'm not referring to the 60s versions. The originals I'm speaking of are the 1927 versions that entered the public domain this year. The named characters are the same, as are the setting. I've used those elements to build my story. You can get the 1927 texts for the first three books at Project Gutenberg. The details of the stories and some of the characterizations differ from the later, revised versions of the stories. There are also 25 chapters in each book instead of 20 - which gives a bit more room for character dialog and added plot elements.

I've read a few Nancy Drew's and enjoyed them. I should give Tom Swift a try!

An interesting thing with Tom Swift, the original adventure series from 1910-1941 has the first 30 books plus #39 in the US public domain.  (So that's 'Motorcycle' to 'Circling The Globe' which just entered the US Public domain this year. The copyright on 'Giant Telescope' was not renewed, so it fell into the US Public Domain back in 1968!). Also, from the 1954-1971 Jr Adventure series, books 17 & 18 are in the US public domain because of failure to renew their copyrights; the both entered the public domain around 1989 and up here in Canada, they are still under copyright, but S&S doesn't seem that interested in enforcing their copyright on them, unless you were going to use elements in another story or movie, etc.

However, here in Canada for the first Tom Swift series, books 1-35 (Motorcycle to Giant Magnet) are in the public domain.  Books 39 and 40 may also be public domain, since the little information there is on Thomas Mitchell, he may've died in the mid-60's, so it's possible that their copyright is expired (also, since from what I know Mitchell's name only came to light in the 90's, under Canada's Anonymous publishing clause of then-50 years, 'Giant Magnet' would've entered the Public Domain on January 1, 1990 and 'Magnetic Silencer' on January 1, 1992.  Books 36-38, which were written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adams will enter the Public Domain on January 1, 2053 (although in the US, they'll be public domain in the 2030's).

However, with Nancy Drew, it'll be an interesting mix between the US & Canada.  The first 3 1930 Nancy Drew's will enter the US Public Domain on January 1, 2026, and the 1959 rewrites of the first two on January 1, 2055.  However, here in Canada, the revised editions, written by Harriet Stratemeyer Adam's, will enter the Canadian Public Domain on January 1, 2053 (all her books, doesn't matter what year they were published, they'll all enter on January 1, 2053).  But, the original 1930's versions of the first three books (and all others by Mildred Wirt Benson) will still be under copyright until January 1, 2073.  Of course, the 3 books written by Walter Karig in the 1939's are in the Canadian Public Domain right now (Mysterious Letter to Larkspur Lane) since Karig died in 1956, so the entered the Canadian Public Domain on January 1, 2007.

[MysteryFan89]

No, I'm not referring to the 60s versions. The originals I'm speaking of are the 1927 versions that entered the public domain this year. The named characters are the same, as are the setting. I've used those elements to build my story. You can get the 1927 texts for the first three books at Project Gutenberg. The details of the stories and some of the characterizations differ from the later, revised versions of the stories. There are also 25 chapters in each book instead of 20 - which gives a bit more room for character dialog and added plot elements.

I've read a few Nancy Drew's and enjoyed them. I should give Tom Swift a try!

Yeah, I don't like the early Tom Swift series. I do love what you've done with the characters. Female Joe really works.
I rarely say that about people (fanfic writers) that change the gender of a TV or book character.

[Brentski]

Yeah, I don't like the early Tom Swift series. I do love what you've done with the characters. Female Joe really works.
I rarely say that about people (fanfic writers) that change the gender of a TV or book character.

Thanks so much. If you knew how much I second-guessed that change after I made it, you would know how much I appreciate that you approve of the change. I know not everyone will feel the same, but it helps to have you on my side!

[MysteryFan89]

Thanks so much. If you knew how much I second-guessed that change after I made it, you would know how much I appreciate that you approve of the change. I know not everyone will feel the same, but it helps to have you on my side!

You're welcome. I like the change, and it makes it different from any of the series.