A plaque commemorating Isaac Asimov championed by science fiction author Michael Swanwick in his hometown of Philadelphia, it seems is gaining support.
There's a movement afoot to put up a plaque where Isaac Asimov lived while he was working (and writing seminal Foundation and Robot stories) at the Naval Yard during WWII. Asimov, in a weird twist, hated Philadelphia while he lived here, but came back for the conventions year after year. Now, according to author Swanwick, it's time to Philadelphia to give back to him. The petition seems to have stalled at 364, 136 short of its goal. How is it, I wonder, possible that there are not even 500 people in Philly who are even passing fans of the master and can't spare the time it takes to sign a credit card receipt? Come ON!
Mr Swanwick and Mr Doctorow, I know I am not anywhere near you gents in science fiction field. However I have been a fan for well over 40 years and Asimov, you could say, set the foundation on which I built my appreciation of the genre. Philly may be Swanwick's home base, but they are not showing any of the love for the good doctor or for Swanwick's efforts. The plaque would be a waste of time, willing to be that even if it were installed, it would not garner a second glance.
Pearls before swine perhaps.
I know I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I have to say it. Maybe the efforts would be appreciated elsewhere?
There's a movement afoot to put up a plaque where Isaac Asimov lived while he was working (and writing seminal Foundation and Robot stories) at the Naval Yard during WWII. Asimov, in a weird twist, hated Philadelphia while he lived here, but came back for the conventions year after year. Now, according to author Swanwick, it's time to Philadelphia to give back to him. The petition seems to have stalled at 364, 136 short of its goal. How is it, I wonder, possible that there are not even 500 people in Philly who are even passing fans of the master and can't spare the time it takes to sign a credit card receipt? Come ON!
Mr Swanwick and Mr Doctorow, I know I am not anywhere near you gents in science fiction field. However I have been a fan for well over 40 years and Asimov, you could say, set the foundation on which I built my appreciation of the genre. Philly may be Swanwick's home base, but they are not showing any of the love for the good doctor or for Swanwick's efforts. The plaque would be a waste of time, willing to be that even if it were installed, it would not garner a second glance.
Pearls before swine perhaps.
I know I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but I have to say it. Maybe the efforts would be appreciated elsewhere?
4 comments:
Hard to believe that not even 500 fans would sign the petition. Sheesh! New York might be better; after all, that was Asimov's hometown (Manhattan) or maybe Brooklyn (where he grew up)--but Manhattan would be best.
I have the perfect place for the Plaque. NASA.
Yep yep yep....with ya 110% Kall. NY has already weighed in. Philly fans I guess have their heads where they shouldn't be! Something has got to be terribly wrong there...500?!!! That should be a walk in the park!!!I don't get it!
Yeah, I don't either. But then again, in this day, according to a recent survey, more than 80% of the kids in school have never even heard of Anne Frank. So what can you really expect any more.
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