Sunday 2 April 2023

Van Rijn And Abrams

Nicholas van Rijn appears in six works in his own right and in four others that also feature David Falkayn. Van Rijn is Catholic and is Falkayn's mentor and Falkayn eventually marries his granddaughter. Van Rijn's main contribution is that he embodies the spirit of free enterprise.

Max Abrams appears in two Dominic Flandry novels, the second time only briefly in his daughter's memory. Abrams is Jewish and is Flandry's mentor and Flandry eventually marries his daughter. Abrams' main contribution is a theoretical framework for the Terran Empire.

We want to read some young van Rijn and maybe some older Abrams after Flandry and he have parted company just as we see John Ridenour once more after he has met Flandry on Starkad. Characters weaving in and out of narratives give a series body. The finest example of this within Poul Anderson's Technic History is that appearances by van Rijn and Falkayn and Adzel and references to the planet Cynthia occur separately before van Rijn and his trader team come together in four works including the two that are the climax of the Polesotechnic League subseries.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I agree, it would have been great if Anderson had written a Young Nick story or one showing more fully Commander (later Captain) Abrams in his retirement on Dayan.

There are many loose ends and mysteries in the Technic series. A favorite is wondering what happened to Leon Ammon in later years. I'm sure you can think of others.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

I always liked van Rijn's "I mean no blasfumings"...

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Old Nick's malapropisms were/are amusing!

Ad astra! Sean