Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) is portrayed in many forms of popular culture. The

Serbian-American Serbian Americans ( sr, / ) or American Serbs (), are Americans of Serb ethnic ancestry. As of 2013, there were about 190,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as there w ...

engineer has particularly been depicted in

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

, a genre which is well suited to address his inventions; while often exaggerated, the fictionalized variants build mostly upon his own alleged claims or ideas. A popular, growing fixation among science fiction, comic book, and speculative history storytellers is to portray Tesla as a member of a secret society, along with other luminaries of science. The impacts of the

technologies Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

invented by Nikola Tesla are a recurring theme in the steampunk genre of alternate technology science-fiction.

Board games

* In the alternate World War I setting in the

board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a co ...

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and ...

'', Nikola Tesla is a major figure in the Russian Matriarchy faction, where his inventions have not only been used to create deadly weaponry but also harness the power of other worldly forces.

Books

Appearances

Brian Clevinger Brian Clevinger (born May 7, 1978) is an American writer best known as the author of the webcomic ''8-Bit Theater'' and the Eisner-nominated print comic '' Atomic Robo''. He is also the author of the self-published novel ''Nuklear Age''. Care ...

and Scott Wegener's ''

Atomic Robo ''Atomic Robo'' is an American comic book series created by ''8-Bit Theater'' writer Brian Clevinger and artist Scott Wegener, depicting the adventures of the eponymous character, a self-aware robot built by Nikola Tesla. The series is split i ...

'' is a

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

series about a robot that was invented by Nikola Tesla, which also features fictionalised representations of other scientists such as Carl Sagan and

Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...

. * J. Weldon Cobb's novel ''To Mars With Tesla; or, the Mystery of the Hidden World'' (1901) is an adventure where Tesla, aided by Young Edison (

's fictional nephew) and a couple of scientists, seeks to communicate with Mars. An adaptation of this "lost classic" was published as a Kindle ebook on Tesla's 160th birthday, 10 July 2016. * In

Jacek Dukaj Jacek Józef Dukaj (born 30 July 1974) is a Polish science fiction and fantasy writer. He has received numerous literary prizes including the European Union Prize for Literature and Janusz A. Zajdel Award. Career He was born on 30 July 1974 i ...

's novel ''

Ice Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaqu ...

'', Tesla is one of the major characters. * In

geomorphologist Geomorphology (from Ancient Greek: , ', "earth"; , ', "form"; and , ', "study") is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features created by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or ...

and author Sesh Heri's novel '' Wonder of the Worlds'' (2005), published by Lost Continent Library, Tesla journeys to

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

with Mark Twain and Harry Houdini to retrieve a stolen crystal and confront Kel, the emperor of the Red Planet, on the eve of the Martian invasion of Earth. * In Ralph Vaughan's four Sherlock Holmes/ H. P. Lovecraft

crossovers Crossover may refer to: Entertainment Albums and songs * ''Cross Over'' (Dan Peek album) * ''Crossover'' (Dirty Rotten Imbeciles album), 1987 * ''Crossover'' (Intrigue album) * ''Crossover'' (Hitomi Shimatani album) * ''Crossover'' (Yoshino ...

, ''The Adventure of the Ancient Gods'' (1990), ''The Adventure of the Dreaming Detective'' (1992), "The Adventure of the Laughing Moonbeast" (1992), and ''Sherlock Holmes and the Terror Out of Time'' (2001), Tesla and

Professor Challenger George Edward Challenger is a fictional character in a series of fantasy and science fiction stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Unlike Conan Doyle's self-controlled, analytical character, Sherlock Holmes, Professor Challenger is an aggressive, ...

plays major roles. * Tesla is one of the main characters in '' The Tesla Legacy'', a novel by Australian author Robert G. Barrett (2006). In the novel, Tesla builds a 'doomsday machine' hidden in the Hunter Valley area of

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

that could disrupt all wireless communication on Earth. * In

Ron Horsley Ron Horsley (born March 4, 1977) is an author and artist responsible for numerous short stories, essays, reviews, and book cover designs. Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, his first published work was as editor of and contributor to ''The Midni ...

's Sherlock Holmes novella, ''The Polyphase-Powered Man'' (2002).Tesla is the narrator and "Watson proxy". * '' The Invention of Everything Else'', by Samantha Hunt (2008), is a novel blending fact with fiction. It centers on the relationship between Nikola Tesla and a maid at the

New Yorker Hotel The New Yorker, A Wyndham Hotel is a mixed-use hotel building at 481 Eighth Avenue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, United States. Opened in 1930, the New Yorker Hotel was designed by Sugarman and Berger in the ...

. * Tesla is an important supporting character in Christopher Priest's 1995 novel '' The Prestige'' (he is portrayed in

Christopher Nolan Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is a British-American filmmaker. Known for his lucrative Hollywood blockbusters with complex storytelling, Nolan is considered a leading filmmaker of the 21st century. His films have grossed $5&nb ...

's 2005 film adaptation by

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

). In the story, Tesla builds a machine that is intended to enable physical teleportation for use in the stage act of magician Robert Angier. The machine is flawed, and merely creates a duplicate of the original item or person. Tesla improves the machine, but warns Angier to destroy it. His mountain laboratory is destroyed by Edison's henchmen and Tesla is forced to leave Colorado Springs, Colorado. * The novel '' Goliath'' by

Scott Westerfeld Scott David Westerfeld (born May 5, 1963) is an American writer of young adult fiction, best known as the author of the ''Uglies'' and the '' Leviathan'' series. Early life Westerfeld was born in Dallas, Texas. As a child he moved to Connectic ...

depicts Tesla when the crew of the airship ''Leviathan'' come across the blast zone of the

Tunguska event The Tunguska event (occasionally also called the Tunguska incident) was an approximately 12- megaton explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Yeniseysk Governorate (now Krasnoyarsk Krai), Russia, on the morning of June 3 ...

. Tesla had come to the site to research the blast and claims it was caused by a weapon created by him, the Goliath. Towards the end of the book it is revealed that the event was caused by a meteor after all, but Tesla was too unhinged to believe it. * Paul Malmont's novel '' The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown'' launches during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

with a dying Tesla secreting the key to a mysterious device called

Wardenclyffe Tower Wardenclyffe Tower (1901–1917), also known as the Tesla Tower, was an early experimental wireless transmission station designed and built by Nikola Tesla on Long Island in 1901–1902, located in the village of Shoreham, New York. Tesla inte ...

. The tower ultimately excites the interest the staff at the "

Philadelphia Experiment The Philadelphia Experiment was an alleged event claimed to have been witnessed by an ex- merchant mariner named Carl M. Allen at the United States Navy's Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, sometime around ...

" U.S. Navy laboratory. The staff members include

Robert Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein (; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific accu ...

L. Ron Hubbard Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (March 13, 1911 – January 24, 1986) was an American author, primarily of science fiction and fantasy stories, who is best known for having founded the Church of Scientology. In 1950, Hubbard authored '' Dianeti ...

, Isaac Asimov and

L. Sprague de Camp Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American writer of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, including novels and works of non-fiction, including biog ...

. *

Seth Grahame-Smith Seth Grahame-Smith (born Seth Jared Greenberg; January 4, 1976) is an American writer and film producer, best known as the author of ''The New York Times'' best-selling novels '' Pride and Prejudice and Zombies'' and '' Abraham Lincoln, Vampire ...

's novel '' The Last American Vampire'' (2015), Tesla plays a supporting role; he aids the protagonist in the assassination of

Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin (; rus, links=no, Григорий Ефимович Распутин ; – ) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, thus ga ...

. *In

Spider Robinson Spider Robinson (born November 24, 1948) is an American-born Canadian science fiction author. He has won a number of awards for his hard science fiction and humorous stories, including the Hugo Award 1977 and 1983, and another Hugo with his co-a ...

's novel ''Lady Slings the Booze'', Nikola Tesla has been brought forward in time (and possibly been rejuvenated) and is resident in Lady Sally's House. Among other things, he has rigged every light in the building to operate off broadcast power. * In Graham Moore's novel '' The Last Days of Night'' (2016), which is about the current wars of the 1880s and 1890s, Tesla features as a major character. * In

S. M. Stirling Stephen Michael Stirling (born September 30, 1953) is a Canadian-American science fiction and fantasy author who was born in France. Stirling is well known for his Draka series of alternate history novels and his later time travel/alternate hi ...

's alternate history ''

Black Chamber The Black Chamber (1919–1929), also known as the Cipher Bureau, was the United States' first peacetime cryptanalytic organization, and a forerunner of the National Security Agency. The only prior codes and cypher organizations maintained by th ...

'' series (2018 —) Tesla is mentioned as "T", head of the eponymous spy-organization's technical department.

Allusions

* Some researchers have suggested that the character of

Nyarlathotep Nyarlathotep is a fictional character created by H. P. Lovecraft. The character is a malign deity in the Cthulhu Mythos, a shared universe. First appearing in Lovecraft's 1920 prose poem " Nyarlathotep", he was later mentioned in other works by ...

in H P Lovecraft's short story "Nyarlathotep" (1920), was inspired by Tesla.

Comics and graphic novels

Appearances

* In

The Light and Darkness War ''The Light and Darkness War'' is a limited series, six-issue comic book written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy. Originally published by Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, Titan Books released a collected hardcover editio ...

(1988–89) by

Tom Veitch Tom Veitch (September 26, 1941 – February 14, 2022) was an American writer, known for his work in the comic book industry. He was also a novelist and a poet. He was the brother of comics writer and artist Rick Veitch. Early life Veitch was ...

and

Cam Kennedy Campbell ("Cam") Kennedy is a Scottish comics artist. He is best known for his work on '' 2000 AD'', especially the flagship titles ''Judge Dredd'' and ''Rogue Trooper''. Biography Following work in commercial art in his hometown of Glasgow, ...

, Tesla appears as a supporting character who has been transported, upon death, to another dimension where other deceased human warriors and scientists, such as

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 14522 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, Drawing, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially res ...

, are engaged in a never-ending battle against the forces of Outer Darkness. A biography of Tesla featured in the second issue in order to introduce Tesla to contemporary readers unfamiliar with the scientist. * In the eight-issue Serbian comic book series '' Generation Tesla'' (1995), created by writer Milan Konjević, and artists Siniša Radović and Zdravko Zupan, Tesla evades his own death by transferring himself to another plane of existence. In 2020, he resurrects a number of humans slain by the evil Kobalt, transforming them into superhumans who can counter the threats of such villains. He is founder and mentor of super-hero team Generation Tesla. * In

Matt Fraction Matt Fritchman (born December 1, 1975), better known by the pen name Matt Fraction, is an Eisner Award-winning American comic book writer, known for his work as the writer of '' The Invincible Iron Man'', '' The Immortal Iron Fist'', ''Uncanny ...

and Steven Sanders'

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

The Five Fists of Science ''The Five Fists of Science'' is a steampunk graphic novel created by writer Matt Fraction and artist Steven Sanders. It was published in 2006 by Image Comics. Plot Nikola Tesla, Mark Twain and Bertha von Suttner combine forces to try to br ...

'' (2006), Tesla teams up with Mark Twain to battle Thomas Edison. * ''The Inventor: The Story of Tesla'' (2012) written by Ravé Mehta with art by Erik Williams, is a graphic novel based on the story of Nikola Tesla. It begins with Tesla's birth in Smiljan, continues through Tesla's battle with

during the

war of the currents The war of the currents was a series of events surrounding the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s. It grew out of two lighting systems developed in the late 1870s and early 1880s; arc ...

, and ends when J.P. Morgan pulls the plug on Tesla's

project. Other major characters in the graphic novel are

George Westinghouse George Westinghouse Jr. (October 6, 1846 – March 12, 1914) was an American entrepreneur and engineer based in Pennsylvania who created the railway air brake and was a pioneer of the electrical industry, receiving his first patent at the age ...

, Mark Twain, Guglielmo Marconi,

Lord Kelvin William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, (26 June 182417 December 1907) was a British mathematician, mathematical physicist and engineer born in Belfast. Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 53 years, he did important ...

, U.S. President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

, and Swami Vivekananda. * '' JLA: Age of Wonder'' (2003) is a two-issue mini-series from

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

' '' Elseworlds'' line, in which Superman lands in

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

in the 1850s and emerges on the world stage at the 1876 Centennial Exposition. He teams up with Edison but ends up working with Tesla, who eventually deploys a death ray during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. * In Jeff Smith's comic book series '' Rasl'', Tesla's ideas are prominently featured as the foundation of travel between alternate realities. The story also features an alternate take on Tesla's biography and uses his journals as a plot device. *

Red Giant Entertainment Red Giant Entertainment, Inc. is a Florida-headquartered comic book publisher and "transmedia" entertainment company established in 2005. Red Giant was founded by Benny R. Powell, former marketing writer for Priceline.com. Other key players ...

's comic book series ''Tesla'' features Nikola Tesla as he uses his greatest inventions to battle against a shadowy organization of the planet's most brilliant minds, who are bent on world domination.

Allusions

*Although Nikola Tesla doesn't make a direct appearance in the comic book series ''

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen ''The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'' (''LoEG'') is a comic book series (inspired by the 1960 British film ''The League of Gentlemen'') co-created by writer Alan Moore and artist Kevin O'Neill which began in 1999. The series spans four vol ...

'' by

Alan Moore Alan Moore (born 18 November 1953) is an English author known primarily for his work in comic books including '' Watchmen'', ''V for Vendetta'', '' The Ballad of Halo Jones'', ''Swamp Thing'', ''Batman:'' ''The Killing Joke'', and '' From He ...

and Kevin O'Neill, it is implied very early on that Tesla (and also Thomas Edison) is responsible for some of the steampunk technology seen in the series. A

circuit breaker A circuit breaker is an electrical safety device designed to protect an electrical circuit from damage caused by an overcurrent or short circuit. Its basic function is to interrupt current flow to protect equipment and to prevent the ris ...

on the last page of ''Empire Dreams'', the first issue of Volume 1 bears the logo "Edison Teslaton".

Companies

Tesla, Inc. Tesla, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational automotive and clean energy company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles (electric cars and trucks), battery energy storage from home to grid- ...

and

Nikola Motor Company Nikola Corporation is an American manufacturer of heavy-duty commercial battery-electric vehicles, fuel-cell electric vehicles, and energy solutions. It presented several vehicle concepts from 2016 to 2020, the first of which was a natural g ...

are both named after Nikola Tesla.

Events and holidays

Nikola Tesla Day

Tesla's birthday, 10 July, is celebrated by some as World Tesla Day, Nikola Tesla Day, or simply, Tesla Day. Some organizations celebrate Tesla Day informally on 10 July. However, The Tesla Memorial Society wrote letters to several officials asking to commemorate 10 July as international Nikola Tesla Day. Tesla's birthday (or in one case, both the day itself and the week leading up to it) is officially celebrated as a holiday in various parts of the world. In Serbia, 10 July is celebrated as the National Day of Science. In Croatia, it is called Nikola Tesla Day. In

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, it is named as the Day of Nikola Tesla. In the autonomous province of

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

in Serbia, the local Association of Teachers also officially celebrate 10 July as the Day of Nikola Tesla though in practice, the celebrations last the seven days (one week) from 4 July to 10 July inclusive. Google honored Tesla on his birthday on 10 July 2009 by displaying a

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

in the Google search home page, that showed the G as a

Tesla coil A Tesla coil is an electrical resonant transformer circuit designed by inventor Nikola Tesla in 1891. It is used to produce high-voltage, low-current, high-frequency alternating-current electricity. Tesla experimented with a number of different ...

On 7 January 2021 (which is both

Orthodox Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...

and the anniversary of Nikola Tesla's death), the Tesla Science Foundation Serbia (TSFA) sent a petition to the

Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church The Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr, Свети архијерејски синод Српске православне цркве, Sveti arhijerejski sinod Srpske pravoslavne crkve) serves by Church constitution as the executive bod ...

proposing that the Synod consider the

canonization Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...

of Nikola Tesla as an Orthodox

saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

with his birthday, 10 July as his

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

Film

Appearances

* In 1941, the first of

Max Fleischer Max Fleischer (born Majer Fleischer ; July 19, 1883 – September 25, 1972) was an American animator, inventor, film director and producer, and studio founder and owner. Born in Kraków, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became ...

's Superman cartoons (titled '' The Mad Scientist'' or just ''Superman'') depicted Superman fighting a character named "Mad Scientist", which is very similar to Tesla (a 1999 VHS release of the movie was titled ''Superman vs. Tesla''). * ''

The Secret of Nikola Tesla ''The Secret of Nikola Tesla'' ( sh, Tajna Nikole Tesle), is a 1980 Yugoslav biographical film which dramatizes events in the life of the Serbian-American engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla. This somewhat fictionalized portrayal of Tesla's life h ...

'' (1980; sh, Tajna Nikole Tesle), a Yugoslav film directed by

Krsto Papić Krsto Papić (7 December 1933 – 7 February 2013) was a Croatian screenwriter and film director whose career spanned over five decades. He is generally considered among the best directors of former Yugoslavia and the only director from Croatia th ...

and notable for its inclusion of

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

as banking baron J.P. Morgan, touches on Tesla's psychic powers and lost vision of the future. *

portrayed Tesla in the movie ''

The Prestige ''The Prestige'' is a 1995 fantasy novel by British writer Christopher Priest. It tells the story of a prolonged feud between two stage magicians in late 1800s England. It is epistolary in structure; that is, it purports to be a collection of ...

'' (2006), in which one of the main characters gets Tesla to develop a remarkable electro-replicating device for him. * An independent Tesla film, 'Fragments from Olympus-The Vision of Nikola Tesla', producers of the film made news by using part of their budget to make a $33,333 donation to help save Tesla's Wardenclyffe lab during a crowd-funding campaign started by the popular internet comic known as the Oatmeal. The story of Wardenclyffe and the effort to save it was the subject of a documentary from the same filmmakers called " Tower to the People – Tesla's Dream at Wardenclyffe Continues." *

's Benny Powell is working on a film adaptation of the popular comic book. * In 2017 American biographical historical film ''

The Current War ''The Current War'' is a 2017 American historical drama film inspired by the 19th-century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States (often referred to ...

'' Tesla is portrayed by

Nicholas Hoult Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (born 7 December 1989) is an English actor. His List of roles and awards of Nicholas Hoult, body of work includes supporting work in big-budget mainstream productions and starring roles in Independent film, independent p ...

. Film is directed by

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (sometimes Alfonso Gómez-Rejón; born November 6, 1972, in Laredo, Texas) is an American film and television director. His television program credits include ''Hunters'', ''Glee'' and ''American Horror Story''. He was nomin ...

and written by Michael Mitnick. *In 2020, the American biographical/historical/fanciful film '' Tesla'' premiered at

The Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 ...

. Written and directed by

Michael Almereyda Michael Almereyda (born April 7, 1960) is an American film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Early work Almereyda studied art history at Harvard but dropped out after three years to pursue filmmaking. He acquired a Hollywood agent on ...

, it features

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

as Tesla, and

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan (; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), as well as roles ...

. *Tesla is portrayed by Canadian actor Robert Vilar in Matthew Rankin's 2017 experimental short film ''

The Tesla World Light ''The Tesla World Light'' (French: ''Tesla : lumière mondiale'') is an 8-minute 2017 black and white avant-garde film by Montreal director Matthew Rankin imagining the latter days of inventor Nikola Tesla in 1905 in New York City. Rankin has stat ...

''. * Tesla Nation, a documentary film on

Serbian Americans Serbian Americans ( sr, / ) or American Serbs (), are Americans of Serb ethnic ancestry. As of 2013, there were about 190,000 American citizens who identified as having Serb ancestry. However, the number may be significantly higher, as there w ...

Allusions

* Disney's ''

Tomorrowland Tomorrowland is one of the many themed lands featured at all of the Magic Kingdom styled Disney theme parks around the world owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Each version of the land is different and features numerous attractions t ...

'' depicts Nikola Tesla as one of four members (with

Gustave Eiffel Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (born Bonickhausen dit Eiffel; ; ; 15 December 1832 – 27 December 1923) was a French civil engineer. A graduate of École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures, he made his name with various bridges for the French railway ...

, and

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

) of a group of inventors called ''Plus Ultra'', dedicated to finding dreamers and inventors who wanted to create a better future. Plus Ultra later discovers an alternate dimension in which the titular City of Tomorrow is constructed. * In

Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch (; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has been a major proponent of independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films including '' Stranger Than Paradise'' (1984), '' Down by Law'' ( ...

's film ''Coffee and Cigarettes'', the vignette " Jack Shows Meg His Tesla Coil" features

Jack White John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...

of the band The White Stripes praising Tesla's work and showing his bandmate

Meg Meg is a feminine given name, often a short form of Megatron, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc. It may refer to: People *Meg (singer), a Japanese singer *Meg Cabot (born 1967), American author of romantic and paranormal fiction *Meg Burton Cahill ( ...

a Tesla coil he built; Jack is also a fan of Tesla in real life. * The 1986 Science Fiction Comedy '' The American Way'' (also known as ''Riders of the Storm'') features a character named "Tesla" (played by

Michael J. Pollard Michael J. Pollard (born Michael John Pollack Jr.; May 30, 1939 – November 20, 2019) was an American actor. He is best known for his role as C.W. Moss in the film ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967), which earned him critical acclaim along with nomi ...

), an engineer on an airborne

pirate television A pirate television station is a broadcast television station that operates without a broadcast license. Like its counterpart pirate radio, the term pirate TV lacks a specific universal interpretation. It implies a form of broadcasting that is u ...

station.

Music

Allusions

* Tesla is the subject of

The Handsome Family The Handsome Family is an American music duo consisting of husband and wife Brett and Rennie Sparks formed in Chicago, Illinois, and as of 2001 based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They are perhaps best known for their song " Far from Any Road" from ...

's song "Tesla's Hotel Room". The song is featured on the duo's 2006 album ''Last Days of Wonder''. * The Human Abstract released the album ''

Midheaven A horoscope (or other commonly used names for the horoscope in English include natal chart, astrological chart, astro-chart, celestial map, sky-map, star-chart, cosmogram, vitasphere, radical chart, radix, chart wheel or simply chart) is an ast ...

'', which includes songs referring to Tesla and his struggles. * The electronic dance album ''

RISE Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...

'' (2013) by electro-pop band ''Renaiszance'' is themed after ''The Inventor: The Story of Tesla'' graphic novel created by Ravé Mehta. The first single and "I Will Rise" are written to Tesla's story and use edgy electronic Tesla coil sounds and dubstep in the production. ''RISE'' is produced by Ravé Mehta and co-written with his sister and ''Renaiszance'' lead singer Radha Mehta. * Tesla is the subject of the song "Tesla" by the American band

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a d ...

which appears on their 2013 album ''

Nanobots Nanoid robotics, or for short, nanorobotics or nanobotics, is an emerging technology field creating machines or robots whose components are at or near the scale of a nanometer (10−9 meters). More specifically, nanorobotics (as opposed to mi ...

'', with lyrics covering his involvement in X-rays, AC power, radio, and neon lights. The song also references Tesla's death at the New Yorker Hotel. * The rock band Tesla is named after him. They have referenced his life and works a number of times, such as in their debut album ''

Mechanical Resonance Mechanical resonance is the tendency of a mechanical system to respond at greater amplitude when the frequency of its oscillations matches the system's natural frequency of vibration (its ''resonance frequency'' or ''resonant frequency'') close ...

'' (1986), their second album ''

The Great Radio controversy ''The Great Radio Controversy'' is the second studio album by American hard rock band Tesla, released in 1989. The album's sound has been described as "glam metal to play inside the cab of a tractor-blusey denim and downright wholesome". The hi ...

'' (1989) and the song "Edison's Medicine" (and accompanying music video), from their 1991 album ''

Psychotic Supper ''Psychotic Supper'' is the third studio album from the American hard rock band Tesla (band), Tesla, released in 1991. The album peaked at 13 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and was certified RIAA certification, platinum by Recording Industry Associati ...

'' * Tesla featured in the official "My Demons" music video by the electronic rock group

Starset Starset is an American rock band from Columbus, Ohio, formed by Dustin Bates in 2013. They released their debut album, '' Transmissions'', in 2014 and their second album, '' Vessels'', on January 20, 2017. The band has found success in expandin ...

. * The Norwegian artist

Sturle Dagsland Sturle Dagsland is a Norwegian artist and musical outfit from Stavanger, consisting of the brothers Sturle Dagsland and Sjur Dagsland. They have toured extensively all across the world at festivals such as Secret Solstice, Sled Island, Fiesta ...

released a single in 2013 entitled "Wardenclyffe Auquarium" with reference to Nikola Tesla's

* Russian synthpop band ''

Tesla boy Tesla Boy is a Russian synthpop band formed in 2008 by sound producer, songwriter and musician Anton Sevidov. History From an early age, Anton Sevidov learned music through his father's old vinyl collection that included Ray Charles, Prince (m ...

'', is named after Tesla. * Some of

Rami Fortis Rami Fortis ( he, רמי פורטיס, , born July 7, 1954), or simply Fortis, is an Israeli rock singer. Born in Tel Aviv, Fortis became known as a pioneer of Israeli punk rock. His debut album ''Plonter'', released in 1978, was not a commercia ...

's 2011 album "החבר אני" (The Friend Me) lyrics was inspired by the life and works of Tesla. Fortis had dedicated the album to Tesla, and said his works inspired him. *

Tesla Girls "Tesla Girls" is a song by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released as the third single from their fifth studio album, ''Junk Culture'' (1984). It peaked at No. 21 in the UK and Ireland, and No. 8 on the Dutch Top ...

was a 1984 single by English band

Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...

Online

* In the YouTube series ''

Epic Rap Battles of History ''Epic Rap Battles of History'' (ERB) is a YouTube web series and music project created by Peter "Nice Peter" Shukoff and Lloyd "EpicLLOYD" Ahlquist. The series pits historical and pop culture figures against one another in a rap battle format. ...

'', in season 2, Tesla is depicted in a rap battle against Thomas Edison. Tesla is portrayed by Dante Cimadamore and his singing voice is provided by both Cimadamore and

Nice Peter Peter Alexis Shukoff (born August 15, 1979), best known as his stage name Nice Peter or Bluesocks, is an American musician and Internet personality. A self-described "Comic/Guitar Hero", he is best known for the comedy on his YouTube channel, Ni ...

. *

The Oatmeal ''The Oatmeal'' is a webcomic and humor website created in 2009 by cartoonist Matthew Inman. It offers original comics, quizzes, and occasional articles. Inman has produced a series of ''Oatmeal'' books with content from the webcomic and previou ...

, a website created by

Matthew Inman ''The Oatmeal'' is a webcomic and humor website created in 2009 by cartoonist Matthew Inman. It offers original comics, quizzes, and occasional articles. Inman has produced a series of ''Oatmeal'' books with content from the webcomic and previou ...

, contains a section on "Why Nikola Tesla Was The Greatest Geek Who Ever Lived"

Stage productions

A number of live theatrical plays based on Tesla's life have been produced and staged worldwide.

Opera

* Australian composer

Constantine Koukias Constantine Koukias (born 14 October 1965) is a Tasmanian composer and opera director of Greek ancestry based in Amsterdam, where he is known by his Greek name of Konstantin Koukias. He is the co-founder and artistic director of IHOS Music Theatre ...

's two-act opera ''

Tesla - Lightning in His Hand Tesla most commonly refers to: * Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), a Serbian-American electrical engineer and inventor * Tesla, Inc., an American electric vehicle and clean energy company, formerly Tesla Motors, Inc. * Tesla (unit) (symbol: T), the SI-d ...

'', about the life and times of Nikola Tesla, premiered at the 10 Days on the Island Festival in Hobart, Tasmania, in 2003. * The 2021 opera ''

Les Éclairs ''Les Éclairs'' (''The Lightning Flashes'') is an opera in four acts to a libretto by Jean Echenoz with music by Philippe Hersant. It was premiered at the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 2 November 2021.Philippe Hersant Philippe Hersant (born 21 June 1948 in Rome) is a French composer. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris. Selected works :: Hersant's works are largely published by Éditions Durand. ;Stage * '' Le Château des Carpathes'', Opera in a pro ...

, is based on a fictionalized version of Tesla's biography; the Tesla figure is named 'Gregor'.

Television

Appearances

* Tesla was a crucial character in the pilot episode, "Power", of ''

Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick B ...

'', and appeared in the last episode of the third season, entitled "The Tesla Effect". He was played on both episodes by

Canadian Ukrainian Canadian Ukrainian (, ) is a dialect of the Ukrainian language specific to the Ukrainian Canadian community descended from the first three waves of historical Ukrainian diaspora, Ukrainian emigration to Western Canada. Canadian Ukrainian was wi ...

actor

Dmitry Chepovetsky Dmitry Chepovetsky (born 1970) is a Canadian actor, best known for his role of Bob Melnikov in the TV series ''ReGenesis''. Early life and education Chepovetsky was born in Lviv, Ukraine. His family left in 1976 along with waves of other Jewish ...

. * In ''

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a saf ...

'', a fictional version of Tesla is revealed to have been transformed into a semi-

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

as a result of being injected with vampire blood. He appears to be one of the primary antagonists of the series' first season, but becomes more friendly later on. He is played by actor

Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...

. * In one of the "Drunk History" series of comedy sketches,

Duncan Trussell Charles Duncan Trussell (born April 20, 1974) is an American actor and stand-up comic, known for his podcast ''The Duncan Trussell Family Hour''. He appears on the Netflix series ''The Midnight Gospel'', and starred alongside Joe Rogan in the SYF ...

while intoxicated tells a story of Nikola Tesla's life and his encounters with Thomas Edison. Tesla is portrayed in the reenactment by

John C. Reilly John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer, and writer. After his film debut in ''Casualties of War'' (1989), he gained exposure through his supporting roles in ''Days of Thunder'' (1990), ''Wh ...

while Thomas Edison is portrayed by

Crispin Glover Crispin Hellion Glover (born April 20, 1964) is an American actor. He is known for portraying eccentric characters on screen, such as George McFly in ''Back to the Future'' (1985), Layne in ''River's Edge'' (1986), Andy Warhol in ''The Doors'' ...

. * In the animated series Super Science Friends, a fictional Nikola Tesla is one of the main characters and is voiced by Hayden Finkelshtain. * He is referenced many times on the show

Ancient Aliens ''Ancient Aliens'' is an American television series that explores the pseudohistorical and pseudoarchaeological ancient astronauts hypothesis, past human- extraterrestrial contact, UFOs, government conspiracies and related pseudoscientific top ...

including an episode called "The Tesla Experiment". * In 2015, Tesla was a pivotal figure in a science fiction series with four episodes, '' Nikola Tesla and the End of the World.'' In 2019, a second season was picked up by

CBC Gem CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...

. Paul O'Neill plays Tesla. The series won or was nominated for several indie film awards, including grand prize at the

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

New Media Film Festival, 2020. * The fourth episode of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...

’s'' Doctor Who (series 12), series 12 "Nikola Tesla's Night of Terror" featured Nikola Tesla as portrayed by Goran Višnjić. * A non-fiction series on the History (U.S. TV channel), History Channel called ''The Tesla Files'' is based on the life and mysteries surrounding the work of inventor Nikola Tesla. * MacGyver (2016 TV series, season 4)#Episodes, Season 4 Episode 10 of ''MacGyver'' features John Ales as Tesla, both in a 1922 prologue and an induced dream state MacGyver uses to "meet" Tesla and glean clues to the location of a "superweapon" Tesla built.

Allusions

* On a 2006 episode of ''MythBusters'' titled MythBusters (2006 season)#Episode 60 – "Earthquake Machine", "Earthquake Machine", hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman debunked the claim that Tesla's oscillator could be used to create an earthquake.

Video games

* Tesla's proposal of teleforce weapons and the destructive possibilities of massive electric arcs created by tesla coils have inspired many video game designers to incorporate Tesla weapons and armors. * The asymmetrical horror multiplayer game ''Identity V'' developed by NetEase, Netease released a character named Luca Balsa ( also known as "the Prisoner" ) who shares the same birthday as Tesla. In game, Balsa is characterized as a young and aspiring inventor working as an apprentice under Alva Lorenz, who shares his name with the middle name of

. The two worked together until they had an argument, resulting in Lorenz's accidental death and Balsa's imprisonment.

Appearances

* In the ''Command & Conquer'' ''Command & Conquer: Red Alert, Red Alert'' series of video games, Nikola Tesla is a scientist working for the USSR, and "Tesla" is the name of the technology the Soviets use to generate power and for their lightning-based weapons. Perhaps the most widely known example is the Tesla Coil defense structure, capable of sending short electric arcs towards oncoming units, also in their arsenal are Tesla troopers, who carry portable tesla coil-based weaponry and tesla tanks, which have a large glowing blue sphere that ejects great bolts of electricity (the ''Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2, Red Alert 2'' version is a small tracked vehicle with a pair of forward-facing, miniature Tesla coils mounted on a turret). * Nikola Tesla is also one of the characters in the game ''Martian Dreams'', by Origin Systems, Origin, which is part of the ''Worlds of Ultima'' series. * Tesla features in ''The Order: 1886'', and aids the main character in the game set in an alternate history 1886. * Tesla is one of the main characters in the game ''Dark Void'', where he is kept in an alternate universe, like a 'skin' between universes, to which one can travel through the Bermuda Triangle. He uses his great intelligence to create a huge Spacecraft, spaceship called the Ark, kept in another, tropical Earth-like universe called the Void. The Ark can be used by others stranded in the alternate universe to defeat the post-singularity robotic AI that manifests itself as an army of anthropomorphic robots. After defeating the robotic menace, Tesla and the other protagonists return to the 'skin' universe, where Tesla stays to keep his youth and his inventions. *In the Rockstar Games 2018 title ''Red Dead Redemption 2'', Tesla is paid homage to with a character called “Marko Dragic”. In the game, the player meets Dragic in the town of Saint Denis where he is convincing investors to invest in his work on electromagnetic waves, showing off a remotely controlled boat. A later mission entails the player helping Dragic set up a series of lightning rods, assisting Dragic in the activation of an automaton, and a return to the laboratory uncovers a deceased Marko Dragic, and awarding the player with the “Artificial Intelligence” achievement or trophy. Exploration into the mountain region will allow the player to find the automaton sitting on the edge of a mountain, regretting its transgressions. * Tesla is the protagonist of ''Tesla vs Lovecraft'' and fights monsters summoned by Lovecraft. * Tesla is an ally of the Assassin's order in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series. * In ''Fate/Grand Order'', Tesla appears in the London Singularity and briefly in E Pluribus Unum Singularity as an Archer-class Servant. His Noble Phantasm, System Keraunos, is a powerful electromagnetic attack that deals extra damage against servants with Earth or Sky Attribute. * Zen Studios developed a Pinball#Computer pinball simulation, virtual pinball table about Tesla's work and experiments, which became one of the first four tables in its first pinball game, ''Zen Pinball'', released in 2009. It went on to appear in the game's subsequent ports and is available as add-on content for the game's sequels. Nikolai Tesla himself, portrayed by a voice actor, is the table's unseen announcer. *Tesla appears in the 2019 adventure horror video game Close to the Sun (video game), Close to the Sun, voice acted by Jannik Archer. Set in an alternate reality in 1897, he has created a company called Wardenclyffe, and has pulled ahead in a technology war against American inventor

. * In the 2020 game Iron Harvest, the mechs, or automachines as they are called, are inventions of Tesla, which he had created to improve Human quality of life, but instead they were used by the various world powers in the Great War. Dismayed that his inventions were used for war, he shut himself, and his personal Factory, away from the nations of the world. Tesla, and his Factory, play a major role throughout the game's campaign story.

Allusions

* The 2014 adventure game ''Tesla Effect: A Tex Murphy Adventure'' deals with many of Tesla's inventions such as the Spirit Radio, Tesla's Egg, the Death Ray, and a recreation of the Wardenclyffe Tower. It also includes an organization called the "Tesla Legacy Society" dedicated to solving the problems of humanity through the works and inspiration of Tesla.

Coins

* Nikola Tesla is portrayed on some Croatian euro coins (10, 20 and 50 cents coins).

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tesla, Nikola Steampunk IDW Publishing characters Works about Nikola Tesla,

Board games

Books

Appearances

Allusions

Comics and graphic novels

Appearances

Allusions

Companies

Events and holidays

Nikola Tesla Day

Film

Appearances

Allusions

Music

Allusions

Online

Stage productions

Opera

Television

Appearances

Allusions

Video games

Appearances

Allusions

Coins

See also

References

External links