James Cameron and John Scalzi Share An Awkward Elevator Ride 
 James Cameron: Could you hit the button for the top floor, please? 
 John Scalzi: Sure. Say, aren't you James Cameron? 
 JC: That's right. My friends call me King of the World! Ha Ha! Just kidding. 
 JS: Right. 
 JC: You look kind of familiar. Have we met? 
 JS: Met? No. Maybe you recognize me from my author's photo on my books. I'm John Scalzi. 
 Long pause 
 JC: Uh......No, sorry. I don't think I've read your books. 
 JS: Really? You haven't read Old Man's War or The Ghost Brigades? 
 JC: Uh......Nope. 
 JS: You should check them out. I think you'd like them. The story revolves around soldiers having their consciousnesses downloaded into genetically enhanced bodies so they can fight wars on distant planets. I use that to bring up questions about the ethics of colonization. 
 JC: Uh.... Well, that does sound pretty good. I'll check them out sometime. 
 JS: Now that I think about it, that sounds kind of similar to your movie Avatar. 
 JC: Huh.. Yeah, I guess there's a few minor similarities there. 
 JS: Of course, my genetically enhanced bodies are green and yours were blue so I guess that makes all the difference, right? 
 JC: Uh...... 
 JS: You're sure you never read them? They came out a few years before you filmed Avatar. Probably about the time you were brainstorming ideas for the movie. Maybe even writing the script? 
 JC: OK, look. I guess it's possible that I did read your books. Maybe....just maybe... I did and adapted a few of your ideas. You know how it is. Everything you've read or seen before gets mashed up in your head and you start combining that stuff with your own story ideas. Sometimes you may end up using a tiny aspect of someone else's story. Hell, Tarantino has made a whole career out of that. 
 JS: Oh, so now you think you did read my books? 
 JC: It's possible. But even if I.. uh...borrowed an idea or two from you. And I'm not saying I did! But if I accidentally incorporated some stuff of yours into Avatar, I'm sure you see all the differences in it. Like your book didn't have flying mountains, right? And it wasn't in hi-def 3D, was it? 
 JS: No, my book was not in written in hi-def 3D. 
 JC: There you go. Besides, other than whole idea of downloading people into genetically enhanced bodies, my overall story was about a man realizing that his own kind were corrupt and that he should join the other side to find peace and happiness. You didn't have anything like that. 
 JS: True. I think you got that from Dances With Wolves. 
 JC: That's right...Hey! 
 JS: Forget it. I'm not going to sue you or punch you. I just couldn't help but wonder if maybe you hadn't read my books and influenced your movie. 
 JC: Obviously, for legal purposes, I can't admit anything. 
 Long pause. 
 JC: This is the longest elevator ride off my life. 
 JS: Oh, I never hit the button for your floor. I've just been leaning against the Door Closed button. 
 JC. Oh. 
 Long pause. 
 JC: Can I go now, please? 
 JS: Can I have a job writing your next movie? 
 JC: Yes. 
 JS: Pleasure doing business with you, King of the World.