Salman Rushdie (1947- ) British-Indian Author. Rushdie’s epic fourth novel, The Satanic Verses (1988), was the subject of a major controversy, provoking protests from Muslims in several countries. Death threats were made against him, including a fatw? calling for his assassination. The British government put Rushdie under police protection. His book, Shalimar the Clown, Random House, 2005, signed on the title page.