An additional Objectivist novel

musashi · Post by **musashi** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:29 am

I just finished reading Hover Dam (sometimes called Boulder Dam) by Zane Grey. The story might appeal to Objectivists.

The story is intertwined with the construction of the dam. Grey takes his heroic character through various occupations on the Dam from shoveling rocks to drilling tunnels and scaling cliffs. Grey’s story line captivated me much as Ayn Rand did with Atlas Shrugged and the Fountain Head. Grey focused more on the main character, and less on the looters. The storyline even has Communists and gangsters as the bad guys. It would make a good action movie.

There are some rough edges to the writing. I believe it was published posthumously from notes. Much of the dialog includes slang from the 20’s and 30’s. And the etiquette Grey describes is a bit tedious (kind of like reading Pride and Prejudice at some points). But if you like a good Horatio Algerstory, Hover Dam might captivate you as well.

Interesting that Grey was a contemporary of Ayn Rand. I wonder if they ever met or associated?

Tolthar Lockbar · Post by **Tolthar Lockbar** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:49 am

I listened to Richard Salsman talk about Jean-Baptist Sey and apparently Ayn Rand never really read anything about Sey either. Sey's philosophy was actually extremely close to Ayn Rands.

He was one of the first people to put the innovator, businessman, and the labor worker in the right order in terms of wealth and value.

Oleksandr · Post by **Oleksandr** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:55 am

Tolthar, did you mean Grey or Say?

Petter Sandstad · Post by **Petter Sandstad** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 11:17 am

That would be Jean-Babtiste Say (though you often find it written as Jean Babtiste Say).

Tolthar Lockbar · Post by **Tolthar Lockbar** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:10 pm

Thats right, Jean-Baptiste Sey, the greatest economist of all time!

Oleksandr · Post by **Oleksandr** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 3:51 pm

Tolthar Lockbar wrote:Thats right, Jean-Baptiste Sey, the greatest economist of all time!

Musashi wasn't talking about Say, though.

Tolthar Lockbar · Post by **Tolthar Lockbar** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:07 pm

Right, both these people are people that had close ideas to Ayn Rands ideas. They both come before Ayn did and both seem to have gone unnoticed.

musashi · Post by **musashi** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 1:51 am

Yeah I think Zane Grey was not really a philosopher in the traditional sense. He was more of a Cowboy poet.

You’ve probably all gathered that I do not do so well with classical philosophy. Comic strips and limericks are more my speed.