[IW] Gernsbeck Question: Whom Do I Credit?

quarkstomper · 02-18-2016, 11:45 AM

I do a webcomic titled Hannibal Tesla Adventure Magazine that is based off a campaign I ran with my wife several years ago. One of the conceits of the comic's setting is an idea I lifted from GURPS: Infinite Worlds.

IW mentions a parallel world called Gernsbeck in which inventor Nikolai Tesla married the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, and with her family's backing was able to go further with his ideas than he was able to in our timeline. I lifted the idea for my game, set in the Futuristic World of 1935, where electric autogyros fly the skies and Charles Lindbergh was the First Man on the Moon.

The character of Hannibal Tesla was a scientist/adventurer in the Doc Savage mold, and I originally conceived him as the grandson, (later the son, when I started looking into chronologies), of the celebrated Nikolai.

In the current storyline of my webcomic, I am having Hannibal return home due to an urgent summons from his family; his father has gone missing, and Hannibal and his crew of Able Associates, (including, of course, gutsy girl reporter Ginger DuPree) must find him.

But I want to give credit where credit is due. Whom do I credit with the idea I stole of Tesla and the heiress? I think that Gernsbeck first appeared in the 3rd ed GURPS: Time Travel, written by John M. Ford, but my copy is buried and I'm not sure. But I think I also heard that Ken Hite wrote about something like that really happening in his Supressed Transmission column; that Tesla actually met the daughter of a wealthy potential backer but they utterly failed to hit it off.

Can anybody with a better memory, (or better access to their books) help me out on this?

robkelk · 02-18-2016, 05:50 PM

I don't recall seeing Gernsback mentioned anywhere before its appearance in chapter 7 of GURPS Alternate Earths, by Kenneth Hite, Craig Neumeier and Michael S. Schiffer. But I also didn't read all of Ken Hite's Suppressed Transmissions, so there's a possibility the idea appeared there first.

EDIT: Wikipedia claims "Tesla, though polite and soft-spoken, did not have any known relationships." But that's our timeline's Tesla.

quarkstomper · 02-20-2016, 10:02 AM

Then I think GURPS: Alternate Earths is my source then. Thanks.

02-18-2016, 11:45 AM	#1
quarkstomper Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The Enchanted Land-O-Cheese	[IW] Gernsbeck Question: Whom Do I Credit? I do a webcomic titled Hannibal Tesla Adventure Magazine that is based off a campaign I ran with my wife several years ago. One of the conceits of the comic's setting is an idea I lifted from GURPS: Infinite Worlds. IW mentions a parallel world called Gernsbeck in which inventor Nikolai Tesla married the daughter of a wealthy industrialist, and with her family's backing was able to go further with his ideas than he was able to in our timeline. I lifted the idea for my game, set in the Futuristic World of 1935, where electric autogyros fly the skies and Charles Lindbergh was the First Man on the Moon. The character of Hannibal Tesla was a scientist/adventurer in the Doc Savage mold, and I originally conceived him as the grandson, (later the son, when I started looking into chronologies), of the celebrated Nikolai. In the current storyline of my webcomic, I am having Hannibal return home due to an urgent summons from his family; his father has gone missing, and Hannibal and his crew of Able Associates, (including, of course, gutsy girl reporter Ginger DuPree) must find him. But I want to give credit where credit is due. Whom do I credit with the idea I stole of Tesla and the heiress? I think that Gernsbeck first appeared in the 3rd ed GURPS: Time Travel, written by John M. Ford, but my copy is buried and I'm not sure. But I think I also heard that Ken Hite wrote about something like that really happening in his Supressed Transmission column; that Tesla actually met the daughter of a wealthy potential backer but they utterly failed to hit it off. Can anybody with a better memory, (or better access to their books) help me out on this? __________________ Read "Danger Cay" at Hannibal Tesla Adventure Magazine! Pulp Era Adventure and Two-Fisted Science in the futuristic world of 1935! Last edited by quarkstomper; 02-18-2016 at 12:35 PM.

02-18-2016, 05:50 PM	#2
robkelk Untitled Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: between keyboard and chair	Re: [IW] Gernsbeck Question: Whom Do I Credit? I don't recall seeing Gernsback mentioned anywhere before its appearance in chapter 7 of *GURPS Alternate Earths, by Kenneth Hite, Craig Neumeier and Michael S. Schiffer. But I also didn't read all of Ken Hite's Suppressed Transmissions, so there's a possibility the idea appeared there first. EDIT: Wikipedia claims "Tesla, though polite and soft-spoken, did not have any known relationships." But that's our timeline's Tesla. __________________ Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly. Last edited by robkelk; 02-18-2016 at 05:55 PM.*

02-20-2016, 10:02 AM	#3
quarkstomper Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The Enchanted Land-O-Cheese	Re: [IW] Gernsbeck Question: Whom Do I Credit? Then I think GURPS: Alternate Earths is my source then. Thanks. __________________ Read "Danger Cay" at Hannibal Tesla Adventure Magazine! Pulp Era Adventure and Two-Fisted Science in the futuristic world of 1935!

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