Al Qaida inspired by Isaac Asimov?

[Alferd_Packer]

Chiming in to say Harlan Ellison rules. [qimg]http://www.lethalwrestling.com/upload/rock.gif[/qimg]

Harlan is good, but Terry Pratchet rules

 

[Worm]

Wasn't Asimov Jewish? I can't see Bin Laden and his buddies being too keen to base their network on a series of books by a Jewish American scientist. It would be just as likely that they got their ideas from a Marx Bros movie. Duck Soup anyone?

I'm never sure on the line between 'Jewish' as a religious categorisation and as an ethnic categorisation. Asmiov;s family were Russian Orthodox, but religiously he considered himself to be an atheist or a humanist.

Not that anti-Semites would see the difference.

I can't believe anyone who has actually read the Foundation series could draw the parallel between Al Qaida and Asimov's work, other than by the usual technique of ignoring all the bits that don't fit - ie. nearly everything.

See my sig.....

 

[blobru]

*Speaking of whom.... does anyone have Dangerous Visions? The intro by Asimov is beautiful.

I remember it was his explanation why there was no Asimov story in DV, why he didn't really get the new style (late 60's).

A creative writing prof once told me Asimov used to plot his novels scene by scene, lay them all out in pages on the floor, then whichever he had an idea for first pick it up and write as much as he could, lay it back down and pick up the next he had an idea for, etc.

Made me think if he wanted to write "new wave" sf all he had to do was every few hours toss all the scene pages into the air... then continue.

Okay back to the OP. Dumb idea promoted by dumb journalists who have neither read their Asimov nor have any knowledge of AQ. I guess they had nothing better to do and it was a slow news day.

Hey, but Cameron pinched Ellison's Outer Limits scripts; why not another half-mad foreign egomaniac ripping off sf royalty?

 

[dudalb]

Hey, but Cameron pinched Ellison's Outer Limits scripts; why not another half-mad foreign egomaniac ripping off sf royalty?

And Cameron ended up paying Ellison a lot more in damages then he would have to have bought the damn rights in the first place.
Same thing happended when Sergio Leone "forgot" to get the remake rights to "Yojimbo" before making "A Fistful Of Dollars".

 

[shadron]

I'm never sure on the line between 'Jewish' as a religious categorisation and as an ethnic categorisation. Asmiov;s family were Russian Orthodox, but religiously he considered himself to be an atheist or a humanist.

I don't think that's right. He once wrote a essay about his father being a rabbi in the small Russian village, thereby being a man of learning and some esteem, and by coming to America he gave up that rather comfortable post to become a commoner in New York with little grasp of the language, for the sake of better opportunity for his family. Certainly I would agree with the last; he never considered religion for himself at all.

 

[Worm]

I may have used the wrong terminology. His parents were Russian, and they were Orthodox Jewish - is that right?

Entirely my fault, but also religion's fault for poor branding....