Wednesday 13 October 2021

The Selenarchy

Harvest Of Stars, 13.

During the Selenarchy, some Lunar communities are pure Lunarian with visitors not forbidden but made unwelcome. Astrebourg on Farside is mainly a research center. Tychopolis is the main commercial and cultural link between the Moon and the rest of the System. There is no street crime. Selenarchs endow a masked musical-mime troupe.

The Selenarch Rinndalir overrides the multireceiver in the Launch Pad and directly addresses Hans Gieseler of Fireball Enterprises who is drinking there. The barman, Rory, gives us some authentic Irish English dialogue:

"'Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,' Rory whispered, 'It's himself.'" (p. 146)

Rory serves "...monumental sandwiches..." (p. 147) which I remember from more than one Irish pub.

I can do without the MacCannon song that they sing in the Launch Pad.

The holo of Rinndalir's head and upper body:

marble-white face;
high cheekbones;
large grey eyes;
straight, flared nose;
pointed chin;
silver, shoulder-length hair;
convoluted ears;
a gold fillet on the brow;
iridescent black tunic -
 
- an Elvish character showing up in a hard sf novel.

4 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I don't recall the MacCannon song, but my thought was you have to expect some fairly ripe songs in somewhat declasse establishments like the "The Launch Pad." I recall Anderson mentioning things like "The Ballad of Eskimo Nell" or "The Bastard King of England" in others of his works (e.g., THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS).

And I recall John Wright talking about the HARVEST books and commenting on how Elvish the Lunarians were.

Ad astra! Sean

Sean M. Brooks said...

Correction: it was in L. Sprague De Camp's and Fletcher Pratt's THE INCOMPLETE ENCHANTER that I saw mention of "The Ballad of Eskimo Nell" (with some quoting of the less bawdy bits).

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

I used "Eskimo Nell" in the Emberverse books: Rudi's twin sisters are asked for something in Sindarin, and that's what they sing.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

A very cool beans and piquant touch! (Smiles)

Ad astra! Sean