What are the key elements of Nikola Tesla's unsettling legacy?

[Ivan Seeking]

The Tesla Genius: Part 3:
The substance of an unsettled legacy
Thomas Kelley

We have already seen that Nikola Tesla, in the visions from which he deduced the mechanism
of alternating current, also intuited a basic law of Octaves governing universal energy.
- Robert Anton Wilson, 1977

The fascination for Tesla goes well beyond his personal genius, accomplishments, and charisma. In this article, some elements of his legacy will be examined, realizing that there are probably as many ways to relate Tesla's life and work to the modern era as there are people to react with their own opinions about him. However, I believe that there are three broad categories of the Tesla legacy which dominate current thinking about the Serbian-born genius. The first two parts of this series (AJNP, July, August 1987) dealt with more factual elements of Tesla's life (Part 1 was a biography, and Part 2 an analysis of his work), while this article must of necessity be abstract in generalizing the topics about to be discussed. The first broad category that I will define is the legacy of politics. Basically, Tesla became a reluctant symbol, a figurehead for the nationalistic movements in Yugoslavia. I will examine the essential historical themes, and then outline some of the post WW II, American and Yugoslavian politics that a®ected Tesla's reputation. Without elaborating at this time, the second generalization that I make about Tesla's legacy concerns the mystical and occult interest in Tesla insofar as use of his name or his philosophical beliefs. Finally, I will show that much of the interest in Tesla is for supporting some modern fringe sciences. [continued]

http://ajnpx.com/pdf/NaturalPhil/Tesla/Tesla87dec.pdf

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Part 1: http://ajnpx.com/pdf/NaturalPhil/Tesla/Tesla87jul.pdf
Part 2: http://www.ajnpx.com/pdf/NaturalPhil/Tesla/Tesla87aug.pdf

Sorry about that. I was redirected so many times I didn't realize where I was.
Here's the main site.
http://www.ajnpx.com/html/Tesla.html

 

[Chronos]

Tesla was undeniably a genius. He was also a very troubled and complicated man. Desperation motivated him as a youth. He came into his own and achieved great success as a young man. Then he lost his edge. He again retreated into desperation in his later years hoping to recapture his fortune and credibility. It is a tale of human triumph and tradgedy. I recall having read an obscure biography of Tesla. I believe it was written by one of his assistants. Can't think of the name, but prod me and I will check my library.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Consider yourself prodded.

 

[Chronos]

Dang, I distinctly remember a personal account.. for feeders see:
http://www.18squaresdesign.com/Tesla/marconi.html
http://www.neuronet.pitt.edu/~bogdan/tesla/bio.htm
http://www.teslasociety.com/biography.htm
http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/96jul/tesla.html
http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/n/ni/nikola_tesla.html