Ishmael Reed, 88, Writes 'King Ludd’s Revenge' About Elon Musk and Tech Billionaires
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Ishmael Reed, 88, Writes 'King Ludd’s Revenge' About Elon Musk and Tech Billionaires
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Ishmael Reed is developing a new play, “King Ludd’s Revenge,” using Elon Musk and other tech billionaires as targets for a dramatic critique rather than a journalistic one.
The 88-year-old Oakland writer said he is improvising the work instead of following a straight narrative, framing it more like a jazz interpretation than a conventional biographical drama.
Musk’s presence in Oakland has sharpened the project: he was there recently for the closely watched legal fight with Sam Altman over OpenAI, the company they helped create.
Oakland’s setting also matters to Reed, who has long defended the city and now casts a local, cultural lens on a tech power struggle unfolding across the Bay from Silicon Valley.
As billionaires battle over AI's future, is a playwright's new drama the truest telling of the story?
Is the Musk vs. OpenAI trial a fight for humanity's future or just a battle between competing tech empires?