Wettenhovi-Aspa, Sigurd
Entry updated 21 March 2022. Tagged: Author.

(1870-1946) Finnish author and nationalist philosopher, an early (indeed perhaps the first) advocate of the philological argument that all Indo-European languages have a common Finnish-Egyptian origin (see Linguistics). Late in life he published an English-language sf novel, The Diamondking of Sahara (1935), in which the desert is transformed into forest, and the vastly improved power-generating capacity of Niagara Falls (see Power Sources) enables the inventive protagonist Fingal King to create an "artificial midnight sun" which lights much of Near Future North America. The "Goddess of Liberty" (see Statue of Liberty) in New York harbour glows in this new light. Late in the tale, Communications with a civilization on Mars are attempted, but fail. (A 1935 Finnish-language version of the book has been cited, but neither a Finnish-language title nor the book's actual existence have been traced.) [JC]
Georg Sigurd Wettenhovi-Aspa
born Helsinki, Finland: 7 May 1870
died Helsinki, Finland: 18 February 1946
works (selected)
- The Diamondking of Sahara (Helsinki, Finland: K F Puromies Limited, 1935) [pb/nonpictorial]
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