Wednesday 14 February 2024

Daily Life In Three Future Histories

We have discussed the Future History Triad:

Robert Heinlein's Future History
Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History
Anderson's Technic History

The Future History was the model for later future histories.

The Psychotechnic History was modelled directly on the Future History.

The Technic History was not planned but grew organically when two futuristic series merged into a single larger scale Heinleinian future history.

In the Future History, several short stories show daily life on the Moon. In "'It's Great To Be Back!,'" a young couple returns from daily life on the Moon to daily life on Earth but then find that they had preferred the former and return to the Moon. This story and "'- We also Walk Dogs'," show something of life on Earth.

In the Psychotechnic History, during the recovery from World War III, populations inhabit two-miles-long, three-hundred-stories-high units containing shops, offices, services, education, entertainment and apartments. Much later, Earth is underpopulated with individuals living far apart except in the single interstellar spaceport.

In the Technic History, we see life on Earth during the Solar Commonwealth in "How To Be Ethnic In One Easy Lesson" and, to a lesser extent, in "Lodestar" and life on Avalon in the Earth Book.

7 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And there are actually people who make their livings walking other's dogs!

We do see a bit about how Dominic Flandry lived his daily life in Archopolis in A STONE IN HEAVEN.

Ad astra! Sean

Jim Baerg said...

Another Heinlein story showing life on the moon is "The Menace from Earth".
I do like the recreational flying in a large cave as a major part of the plot.
The 'bubble' seems unlikely, but there is reason to think some lava tube caves will be large enough that a sealed off section could be used that way.

S.M. Stirling said...

Jim: I stole that... 8-). Mediocre artists have influences, great artists -steal-.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I don't recall which of your stories used that idea. Something not yet published?

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Wait a minute, senile dementia setting in -- that was a piece of fanfiction someone else did, set in my "Draka" series.

S.M. Stirling said...

Hmmm. On second thoughts, I think one of my characters -mentioned- recreational flying with strap-on wings at least once.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

It rings no bells to me. Unless it's something in either DRAKON or the collection DRAKAS.

Ad astra! Sean