Re: (ReacTor) Five Thinly Veiled Versions of Rome in SF

In article <m73mjjhgpv76c53bq1jcft0n0q64v1b73f@4ax.com>,
The Horny Goat  <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:

On Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:00:48 -0500, William Hyde
<wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:
>

James Nicoll wrote:

Five Thinly Veiled Versions of Rome in SF
 
For some science fiction authors, all roads really do lead to Rome.
 
https://reactormag.com/five-thinly-veiled-versions-of-rome-in-sf/
 

Not just in science fiction.  Gondor and Arnor are clearly drawn in
large part from the Eastern and Western Roman Empire.

>
Yup
>

And Harry Turtledove wrote at least two Byzantine-inspired series that I
can think of.

>
Yes but those were actually placed in the Byzantine empire not some
alt-Byzantium.
>

I can't at the moment think of where Asimov used Thucydides.  Perhaps he
just needed him for the rhyme.

>
Which work are you referring to? Foundation, Foundation and Empire and
Second Foundation all appropriated a lot of material from Gibbon -
especially in the sections about Bel Riose in Foundation and Empire.
>

That was referring to Asimov's famous poem "The Foundation of SF Success"
which got deleted somewhere in the thread:

So success is not a mystery,
just brush up on your history,
and borrow day by day.

Take the Empire that was Roman
and you'll find it is at home in
all the starry Milky Way.
With a drive that's hyperspatial,
through the parsecs you will race,
you'll find that plotting is a breeze,
With a tiny bit of cribbin'
from the works of Edward Gibbon
and that Greek, Thycydides.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..