Monday 26 September 2022

Planets Seen From Space And Idealism In Two Timelines

A Stone In Heaven.

Terra left behind by Hooligan is:

"...a blue jewel falling away into depths beyond depths..." (VI, p. 65)

Elaveli, a moon of Ramnu is:

"...airless, lifeless, a stone in heaven." (XIII, pp. 171-172)

Ramnu is:

"A sapphire, Flandry reflected. Yes, another stone...a precious jewel..." (p. 172)

One Asimov title describes Earth as a Pebble In The Sky.

"'Idealism has killed a lot of people throughout history.'" (XIII, p. 169)

"'I think most human misery is due to well-meaning fanatics...'"
-Poul Anderson, "Time Patrol" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, December 2010), pp. 1-53 AT 5, p. 42.

Flandry and Everard speak for Anderson. I think that there are other major causes of misery.

3 comments:

Jim Baerg said...

"'I think most human misery is due to well-meaning fanatics...'"
Not the only major cause, but they certainly make things worse.
For something on current events where well meaning fanatics are about to create great misery.
The audio version
https://www.decouplemedia.org/podcast/episode/fd4da303/germany-how-to-fail-an-energy-transition
the video version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP9ogDFth0A

S.M. Stirling said...

As the saying goes, selfishness gets tired and goes off to sleep or have fun.

But a feeling of righteous dedication... ah, that's a different matter.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling! I agree! Hence we get fanatically "idealistic" monsters like Robespierre, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Castro, Pol Pot, et nauseatingly al. Ad astra1 Sean