Chives on the Terran Empire:
"'...as for the Empire, like the proverbial centenarian I suggest you consider the alternative.'" (p. 398)
It is never the case that there are only two alternatives: the status quo and something worse! Some people have worked to improve the status quo out of all recognition yet those improvements are always under threat. We can move forwards or backwards but never just conserve whatever is here and now.
Paradoxically, the Terran Empire began as a conventional colorful setting for space opera action-adventure fiction, a Roman-style Empire with slaves and barbarians in space, yet developed into a vehicle for the discussion of historical cycles with Chunderban Desai describing it as the universal state of Technic civilization. Speculative fiction transcends space opera yet Poul Anderson imperceptibly blends both. His embattled Terran Empire is infinitely more credible than Asimov's sole Galactic Empire, effortlessly spanning the Milky Way but never venturing beyond it.
We have wandered over several points here.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Many times, however, for all practical purposes, we do have two alternatives: the status quo or something worse. And it is certainly my hope both technological advances and prudent reform or statesmanship can lead to further improvements. And, yes, a reasonably tolerable society will always be under threat, one way or another.
Yes, I agree, Anderson could infuse serious meaning or substance into the shallowest of pulp science fiction. It helped, naturally, that he enjoyed well done pulp!
Again, I agree, the anxious and embattled Empire we see in the Flandry stories was far more convincing than Asimov's ultimately disappointing FOUNDATION books.
Ad astra! Sean
As Marx remarked, human beings make history — but they can’t make it just as they please. History itself constrains choice.
The truest thing Marx ever said. We, human beings, collectively act and change the world, have changed it, but not in circumstances of our own choosing. This generation has to act within and upon the social environment, and altered natural environment, created by the actions of previous generations. Social forces, like war and the economy, confront individuals with the apparent objectivity of natural forces, like climate and weather. (In fact, now social forces are changing natural forces.) But, until we are dead, there is always something that we can do, whether individually or collectively.
Gentlemen:
No disagreement with these comments of yours. I would only add that, within the constraints of all kinds that we all live in, our choices can be either good or bad, wise or foolish.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
In fact, it seems that, if a choice is remotely possible, then someone somewhere will do it. It is like a big experiment. Or something.
Paul.
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