They say that one of the best things a fiction writer can do is read and watch as much fiction as they can, to learn from what other artists in the field are doing. This is good advice 99.9% of the time, but Charlie Brooker's relationship with "Severance" might be that rare exception. Brooker is the creator and ongoing showrunner of "Black Mirror," a TV show that's long explored some very "Severance"-esque concepts. He's spoken in a recent interview about his refusal to watch the hit Apple TV+ series:

"There's certainly a show I haven't watched that's made me jealous. People keep telling me to watch 'Severance,' and I haven't let myself do it because they also say to me, 'Oh, you'll love it. It's a bit 'Black Mirror'-y, but it's much better.'"

It's easy to see Brooker's reasoning. Not only is "Severance" a similar show,...