Dominic Flandry defends the Terran Empire;
the Empire loses its legitimacy and eventually falls;
later, interstellar civilization is rebuilt, spreads through several spiral arms of the galaxy and enters a period of unprecedented wealth - which, unfortunately, is where we have to leave it.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I recall how, in A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS, Chunderban Desai argued to Flandry that Hans Molitor's reign as Emperor marked the beginning of an "interregnum" in the Empire's history. A very dangerous period between the end of its Principate phase and the beginning of its Dominate era (and that he expected this interregnum to last 80 years). Obviously, this was analogous to the time of chaos suffered by the Roman Empire from the assassination of Alexander Severus in 235 to the accession of Diocletian in 284. It was Desai's hope that Emperor Hans and his successors would prevent this interregnum from being too catastrophic.
And, in fact, because of people like Flandry and his daughter, we do see several ruinous disasters being averted or nipped in the bud by the end of THE GAME OF EMPIRE. Alas, that was the last of the stories set in the Terran Empire written by Anderson; we don't know what the later parts of this interregnum and the Dominate phase were like. Anderson went on to other themes and ideas after GAME.
Ad astra! Sean
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