(i) We know nothing of other galaxies.
(ii) There could be interstellar civilizations in other spiral arms...
(iii) ...or elsewhere in this spiral arm.
(iv) Many planetary systems within the Empire are unvisited.
(v) The Dispersal of Ymir penetrates both realms.
(vi) The inhabitants of Sphinx pay tribute and go about their inexplicable business, building gigantic three-dimensional spiderwebs through which lights change color at every blink (Poul Anderson, Flandry's Legacy, New York, 2012, p. 389).
(vii) The late revelation of the Zacharians shows us that we had not known everything that was occurring even within Technic Civilization.
(Since the Zacharians were created to lead humanity, a more cliched use of them as sf villains would have had them plotting to seize control of the Terran Empire but Anderson gives this small community a more plausible role in relation to other contenders for power.)
When we realize how much occurs beyond and even within the Terran and Merseian realms, we might ask whether either of these nuclear-powered imperia is really as important as it thinks.
1 comment:
Hi, Paul!
Considering how vast the Milky Way Galaxy alone is, I can easily imagine most people being satisfied with the exploration of our galaxy. And here and there in the Technic stories I do see mention of expeditions going far beyond known frontiers. Nicholas van Rijn may have ended his life while one such journey (as he mentioned thinking of doing in MIRKHEIM).
And, as a practical matter, would even the hyperdrive ships we see in the Technic History be of much use in exploring other galaxies? I think even the Andromeda Galaxy is so far away that any Technic ships setting out to go there would have to plan on never returning. They would have to be expeditions planning on founding new colonies totally cut off from the rest of the human race in the Milky Way galaxy. It seems to me that only desperate refugees would do that.
Your comment about "whether either of these nuclear powered imperia is really as important as it thinks" is a fair question. I would reply that the Empire, at least, was more modest in its ambitions than Merseia. Recall, Manuel Argos himself only wanted the Empire he planned to found to grow large enough to defend itself against all comers. Remember, as well, what Chunderban Desai said in Chapter 21 of THE DAY OF THEIR RETURN: "Whatever the Empire's faults, and they are many, it recognizes certain limits to what it may wisely do. Merseia does not"
Sean
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