I have corrected a factual detail in Gravbelts. Flandry's and Kossara's trek into the Kazan took not three but seven days. This is far too long in view of the facts their mission was urgent and that they had used gravbelts to descend to Dennitza but thereafter made no reference to these faster means of transport. We have returned to the point on which we ended yesterday, having spent most of today in other activities.
Let me end today on two more general points. First, when I first read Poul Anderson, Ian Fleming and many others in the 1960s, we thought that a "space age" was beginning. Sf writers described that age and authors of contemporary fiction assumed its imminence. James Bond thought that a younger man had been:
"...born into the buyers' market of the Welfare State and into the age of atomic bombs and space flight."
-Ian Fleming, Thunderball (London, 1961), 2, p. 14.
But we also knew that most predictions were wrong.
Secondly, the diversity of human mentalities and motivations should open our minds to the possibility of even greater diversity among non-human intelligences. Anderson listed a sample of six kinds of human beings (see "Homo Sum" and The Discovery Of The Past II) and Fleming's You Only Live Twice addresses the perception of suicide as an honorable act in Japan.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, I can see how that extended journey thru the Kazan taken by Flandry and Kossara has to be thought a weak bit in the story. No more than three days at the very most.
If I recall correctly, Heinlein included a "False Dawn" at the very beginning of any kind of space flight on his Future History chart, set in the 1960's or '70's of that timeline. I only wish he could have been less prescient about that!
I only hope we get a TRUE dawn in space because of men like Elon Musk!
Again, if I recall correctly, that discussion Bond with his Japanese opposite number about the opposing views of suicide goes back to the religious differences Christians have with non-Christians about self murder. And, even if Bond was no believer, he could not help but be affected by the Western view of suicide. I recall the shock he felt at being told it was not unusual for Japanese to feel so disgraced by failure that they would kill themselves, even if was only failing a course in school.
Ad astra! Sean
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