A joint Lochlanna and Nuevamerican expedition explores Gwydion.
The Allied Planets expedition to Lokon represents several planets, including Kraken, Atheia and Nuevamerica. Their computer refers to Lochlann, Ifri and neo-Freeholder techniques.
Kirkasanters who arrive on Serieve are investigated by a Ranger from New Vixen who trained on Aladir.
By "Planets of the Long Night," I mean planets that are mentioned during or after the Long Night. I count references to fifteen. We are told that Old Earth may no longer exist.
Of the fifteen, we heard of five {sorry, six; see comments} before the Long Night. The reference to Hermes was surprising. Of the remaining ten, New Vixen is a colony of Vixen and Kirkasanters are descendants of Aenean rebels. Thus, the planets that are entirely new are, I think, Lochlann, Sassania {revision: not Sassania}, Nike, Nuevamerica, Gwydion, Lokon, Serieve and Aladir.
Addendum, 28 June 2014: I might revise this post but meanwhile please read Sean Brooks' comment mentioning several earlier references to some of these planets.
7 comments:
Hi, Paul!
I'm almost sure A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS mentions Sassania as the colonized world Persis d'Io came from. After leaving, amicably, Lord Hauksberg she returned to Sassania with her son by Dominic Flandry and resumed her birth name of Hazeltine.
The name "Sassania" interests me. I think it's plain the name is meant to hark back to the Sassanian dynasty which ruled Persia before the Muslim conquest. It makes me think Sassania was settled by non Muslim Iranians (Christians and Zoroastrians?). The Iranian origins of Sassania is made more plausible by "A Tragedy of Errors" saying that planet was ruled by Shahs after the Empire fell.
We also see Nuevamerica mentioned in both "The Master Key" and THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND. That planet seems to have been settled by Catholic Hispanics either from Mexico or Spain (possibly both).
I'm almost sure I've seen mention of Lochlann in some of the pre Long Night era stories, but I'm uncertain. Nike, and Lokon were both mentioned as having once been part of the Empire. Gwydion, of course, simply dropped out of sight after being colonized till it was rediscovered in THE NIGHT FACE.
I agree Kirkasant was settled by descendants of the Aenean rebels who fled the Empire. But I don't think all of the Aeneans settled there. "Starfog" makes it plain Kirkasant's first colonists arrived with only one ship, rather than the FLEET Hugh McCormac led out of the Empire. The story has speculations about either the founding ship getting lost or there might have been a quarrel and it struck off on its own.
And I'm familiar with Serieve, Atheia, and Aladir only from the post Imperial stories.
Sean
Thank you, Sean. I too suspect that Lochlann was mentioned before and knew that you would point out any other earlier mentions of these planets that I had missed. This post will have to be revised.
Sean,
Excellent speculation about Sassania! Can Anderson really have been thinking that much background detail?
"The Master Key" and THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND mention Nuevo Mexico.
Paul.
Sassania is indeed in A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS.
Hi, Paul!
Drat! I was wrong, then, about Nuevamerica. It was NUEVO MEXICO which was mentioned in "The Master Key" and THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND. But I'm still almost sure I came across Nuevamerica SOMEWHERE in the Technic History stories.
Yes, I do think Poul Anderson had the non Muslim Sassanian dynasty in mind when he mentioned Sassania. And that made me think the planet was settled by Iranians harking back to the pre Muslim era.
Sean
"Yes, I do think Poul Anderson had the non Muslim Sassanian dynasty in mind when he mentioned Sassania. And that made me think the planet was settled by Iranians harking back to the pre Muslim era."
And according to this discussion of current Iranian politics
https://secularjihadists.libsyn.com/islam-vs-iran-the-battle-for-iranian-identity
there is a significant fraction of those Iranians who dislike the rule by the mullahs who hark back to the Achaemenid & Sassanian empires.
So 'Sassania' is even more plausible that when Poul wrote the stories.
Kaor, Jim!
I agree, there is a good deal of discontent within Iran with the Shia theocrats misruling that country. And practically all Iranians still remember with pride the Achaemenid and Sassanian eras. Only time will tell if ayatollahs will soon be overthrown and what kind of regime succeeds them.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment