Comments (5)

• EnEm

  After reading the "evidence" presented, I would say it's highly improbable that Ayn Rand did not lift the name 'Galt' and the expression "Who is John Galt" from Garrett's works. Unless it is a freakish coincidence, I support Raimondo in his assertion. I would even go so far as to say that her style of writing resembles Garrett's.

  Published: December 26, 2008 10:26 AM

• Lester Hunt

  From the evidence I have seen, if AR did lift something from The Driver, then it was either unconscious or a deliberate homage to an admired author. When authors steal from each other (which of course they do all the time) they swipe devices with meaning and value, not a character's last name.

  Published: December 26, 2008 11:19 AM

• Greg Ransom

  any chance we'll see audio versions of these books?

  Published: December 26, 2008 8:13 PM

• IMHO

  I hope everyone's enjoying their holiday.

  Rand was not a stupid woman. I'm sure she didn't think she could slip the use of the name and the expression past readers of the genre. It may have been nothing more than a simple reference, or as was already suggeted, a homage to Garrett's work.

  "When authors steal from each other (which of course they do all the time) they swipe devices with meaning and value, not a character's last name."

  Science fiction writers do it all the time, and not so subtley, I might add. They generally do it to pay homage or to build upon a previous idea.

  Published: December 27, 2008 1:11 AM

• eric lansing

  "it was either unconscious or a deliberate homage to an admired author."

  
  try reading Anthem by Rand and then We by Yevgeny Zamyatin.

  Published: December 29, 2008 8:36 AM