Chaos

What would a novel look like that was set during the "Chaos" period of Poul Anderson's History of Technic Civilization? First, I think that it would have to be set during the early twenty first century, preferably as that period might have been anticipated from within Anderson's lifetime, 1926-2001, rather than as we now know it to be.

Secondly, it would have to address global issues and also show some movement towards their resolution. Resources from space would be one part of a solution. By 2057, there will be an Apollo University in Leyburg on the Moon. Before then:

one thousand people will have taken six months to travel to Mars in a solar sail ship, the J. Peter Vajk, will have launched minerals from Phobos to Earth and will have begun to explore Mars with auxiliary craft;

similar colony ships will have traveled as far as Jupiter;

the Vladimir will have been lost en route to Mercury;

the Chronos, launched by a Britannic-American consortium, will have taken eight years to reach the Saturnian system.

And, meanwhile, there would be many events on Earth. Thus, quite a lot has to happen in just fifty six years: a rich period. We are fortunate that Anderson did write "The Saturn Game," the single link between our history and the Technic History.