: Is it permitted to mention a real life work of fiction in your story? I am working on a new project that draws influence from a currently running television show. What I want to do is make

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You're probably worried about "defamation" when you fear "mentioning" a real life story

Defamation occurs when you say something that is:

certifiably untrue
as a statement of fact, not opinion
that is highly offensive to a reasonable person.

Your statement, "we're not anything like that show" doesn't meet any of these tests. It can't be proven or disproven (not certifiably untrue), because it is a statement of opinion, not fact. Nor is it highly offensive to a reasonable person (everyone has their own view of what is like or unlike something).

You would be on shakier ground if you said something like, "Show X is pornographic." That is something that:

can be disproven
can be taken as a statement of fact
would be offensive to most people.

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Answer: Yes

Examples off the top of my head:
1. Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series references the Lord of the Rings, on multiple occasions, as well as many, many other things.
2. R. A. Salvatore's Spearwielder's Tale likewise references the Lord of the Rings.

Basically, it is permitted to mention a real life work of fiction in your own work of fiction. As general rule, rules of plagiarism and copyright do not distinguish between a fictional and non-fictional work, so if you can do something in a non-fiction work (e.g. say "I love Stargate SG-1!", in a discussion or review), then you can do the same in a fictional work, (e.g. have a character exclaim "I love Stargate SG-1!").

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Not only is this acceptable, but you should. Sometimes, mentioning the name of a book, a TV show or a brand can be a powerful way of making the reader feel like they are in the middle of the story. Remember that you should always try to make the reader feel what the characters are feeling. Use words that make the reader imagine the sounds the characters are hearing, the smells they are perceiving, etc. For example, something like

"She felt dehydrated. She opened a can of Coke and gulped the sugary, ice-cold liquid so avidly that the bubbles hurt her throat,"

is 1000 times more evocative than: "She was thirsty so she drank a cold soft drink very fast." However, note that this only works well if you can be sure that most of your readers know the mentioned brand and thus can relate to what they are supposed to feel.

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What you suggest is actually a very time-honored form of homage.

The only real difficulty is that it can cause your work to appear dated.

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The answer is YES, you can do so. What you cannot do is quote the work. Or make it so close that it borders on plagiarism.

"OMG! We are on an island! This better not turn all weird like Lost! Gah!" is perfectly fine.

I once wrote a road story based on my playlist and how it matched the mood of where I was. I could not use the lyrics themselves without obtaining the rights from the writer, but the titles and band names was perfectly fine.

If you have any doubt, consult an attorney.

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