The Technic History And Cities In Flight III

Poul Anderson's Polesotechnic League and James Blish's Okie cities are interstellar traders. Anderson's Mirkheim shows the beginning of the end of the League which is succeeded by the Terran Empire whereas Blish's Earthman, Come Home shows the end of the Okies who are succeeded in the Milky Way by the Web of Hercules although the narrative follows ex- and post-Okies into the Greater Megallanic Cloud and beyond.

The leading figure in the League period of the Technic History is Nicholas van Rijn, Master Merchant Polesotechnic League, founder, owner and director of Solar Spice & Liquors, whereas the leading Okie, then ex-Okie, is John Amalfi, Mayor of New York, then of the Greater Megallanic Cloud. Van Rijn prevents a Shenn attack on Technic civilization whereas Amalfi prevents a comeback by the Vegan Tyranny. In the Technic History, antisenescence extends human lifespans by a few decades whereas Okies have the antiagathics which prevent death by old age or disease. Anderson's characters with indefinitely prolonged lifespans appear in several other works including, we should not forget, one in his earlier Psychotechnic History.

Plans to film Cities In Flight were never realized. Both series should be filmed.