Monday 1 November 2021

Confusing Chronologies

Harvest Of Stars begins with its Epilogue when the Alpha Centaurian planets of Phaeton and Demeter are colliding, then begins its main narrative in the Solar System with Anson Guthrie already dead but downloaded, includes some flashbacks to Guthrie's life and ends on Demeter.

The Stars Are Also Fire begins with a Prologue set "Long afterward..." during the evacuation of Demeter, then presents alternating chapters of a sequel and a prequel to Harvest Of Stars, both set in the Solar System.

Harvest The Fire is a later sequel set in the Solar System.

The Fleet Of Stars, set still later, begins on Amaterasu in the Beta Hydrian system and presents a linear narrative in which a download of Guthrie visits the Alpha Centaurian and Solar Systems.

A newly embodied Guthrie and a composite being called Demeter Daughter are created on Demeter in the concluding chapter of Harvest Of Stars and are alive in later incarnations on Amaterasu in the opening chapter of The Fleet Of Stars.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Technically speaking, it might have been less confusing if Anderson had written the HARVEST books in a straightforwardly chronological manner. While READING them I don't think this complex means of arranging the texts bothered me, the problem would come if you tried to sort out the texts chronologically. I would put this down to Anderson experimenting with different ways of presenting his stories.

Ad astra! Sean