Wettenhovi-Aspa, Sigurd
Entry updated 10 April 2023. Tagged: Author.
(1870-1946) Finnish nationalist philosopher, painter and author, born Sigurd Wetterhoff-Asp; as early as 1910 he had begun to advocate the philological argument that all Indo-European languages have a common Finnish origin via Egypt, which was founded by Finns (see Linguistics); he was almost certainly the first, and perhaps the only, writer to suggest this. Wettenhovi-Aspa is of sf interest for an English-language 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 can be seen glowing in the light of Finnish genius. Late in the tale, Communications with a civilization on Mars are attempted, but fail. (It might be noted that King's successful Inventions reflect the author's own failed projects, all very large-scaled but never financed. A 1935 Finnish-language version of the book has been cited, but neither a title in Finnish nor evidence of its 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) [title page states "Preliminary Edition" which may be read as "First Edition": pb/uncredited]
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