Sunday 19 May 2013

Introductions V

Of the three novels collected in The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume IV, Young Flandry, by Poul Anderson:

the first is introduced by excerpts from a space pilots' manual describing the planet Starkad;
the second is not introduced;
the third is introduced by an untitled, unattributed passage narrated by a Didonian composite intelligence.

Of the six works collected in Volume V, Captain Flandry: Defender of the Terran Empire:

one is preceded by Job iv, 12-16;
the others are not introduced.

Of the four works collected in Volume VI, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra:

one is introduced by an untitled, unattributed, italicized passage in which an inhabitant of the planet Dennitza reflects on the events of the novel;
the others are not introduced.

Of the six works collected in Volume VII, Flandry's Legacy:

two are introduced by Poul Anderson and one of these is also preceded by maps;
one is introduced by an italicized passage quoting the then King of England's remark to Sir Christopher Wren about St Paul's Cathedral;
the others are not introduced.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Hi, Paul!

A pet peeve of mine is how much I loath the Baen Books covers for YOUNG FLANDRY, CAPTAIN FLANDRY, and SIR DOMINIC FLANDRY. Those hideous covers makes it look as though Flandry was nothing more than a thug chased by hordes of naked bimbos. And the stories (and Flandry) are so much MORE than what such an impression gives a first time browser.

Yes, I realize those semi pornographic covers are designed to attract attention from prospective buyers. But couldn't that still have been done using more dignified covers?

And I greatly appreciated how Anderson began "A Tragedy of Errors" with a quote from Charles II containing words which we today might find insulting when applied to us. And, then, at the every end, Anderson explained how King Charles had meant (and was so understood) a COMPLIMENT to Sir Christopher. A neat example showing us how words can change in meaning.

Sean