In the Earth Book, the editor, Hloch, having recounted the history of the Polesotechnic League as far as van Rijn's arrival at Mirkheim, has reminded his readers of the eventual Babur War and then concluded with two Avalonian tales both told from youthful hover-points even though the first was written in her high old age by Judith Dalmady/Lundgren who was then drawing on the fresh memories of the protagonist, David Falkayn's grandson. Youth and age and beginnings and endings interact throughout the History. Hloch comments that The Earth Book Of Stormgate is ended, wishes his readers fair winds forever and flies above Mount Anrovil in the Weathermother. He has completed the story of the beginning of the colonization of Avalon.
In the concluding installment of the Technic History:
human civilizations have spread through several spiral arms of the galaxy;
a planetary population descended from the Aenean rebels who were expelled by Dominic Flandry rejoins interstellar civilization even though meanwhile its members have ceased to be human;
a new source of immense wealth, the "Cloud Universe" globular cluster, is about to be opened up to human prospectors and miners.
After seventeen volumes, a new beginning...
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I assume Judith Lundgren's "high old age" was when she was 100 Terran years old. Technic antisenescence could enable people to live till about age 110.
I question, however, whether the Kirkasanters of "Starfog" can fairly be said to no longer be humans, even if not able to interbreed with other humans. At most, they became a separate branch of the human race, but still human, IMO.
Ad astra! Sean
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