It seems that there was already some evidence for extra-solar planets when this book was first published in 1963.
A Fold In Space
An insect can step directly from one corner of a large sheet of paper to the opposite corner if someone folds the sheet. However, an insect is a three-dimensional organism walking on a two-dimensional surface whereas a spaceship is comparable to a two-dimensional picture that is part of the sheet. Such a picture cannot step from corner to corner.
Quantum Hyperspace
"It may be possible to make a very large number of small quantum jumps per second." (p. 166)
As in Anderson's Technic History.
Civilization Clusters
Several civilizations in each cluster interact but many do not. Inter-cluster contact is tenuous. Explorers, missionaries etc make occasional long trips. This scenario, in Anderson's After Doomsday, is plausible and should have been the basis of an entire series.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I assume the lady with Anderson in the illustration you chose is his wife Karen Anderson.
And of course there are contemporary, real world speculations about possible FTL drives such as that proposed by Alcubierre.
Alas, however possible some of these FTL drives might be in theory, the biggest hurdle would be making any of them an engineering, nuts and bolts REALITY. However much I hope that happens, I don't expect it to be achieved soon.
Now that you mentioned it, I'm rather sorry Anderson never wrote any sequels to AFTER DOOMSDAY. We can think of many questions, such as was any effort made by the human survivors at again making Earth habitable? And what happened to those survivors in general, etc.?
Anderson liked mysteries and wrote several of them himself, both short stories and novels. AFTER DOOMSDAY is a a good example of a science fictional mystery.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I think that that is someone presenting an award.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I would need to find a picture of Mrs. Anderson to be sure. I've seen some, but no where as often as those of her husband.
Ad astra! Sean
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