Cannibalization of fiction refers to adapting, borrowing or stealing plots, characters, themes or ideas from one story for use in another or from one medium to another, such as a film adaptation of a book.
Authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh alleged that fellow author Dan Brown had cannibalised their book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail in writing The Da Vinci Code.[1]
The Doctor Who television episode "Dalek" is an example of legitimate cannibalisation, the writer having adapted elements of the Doctor Who audio drama Jubilee for this television episode.[2]