We notice an Andersonian phrase given an entirely different meaning in SM Stirling's The Sky People (New York, 2007). The natives on Venus call a black woman from Earth "'...Night Face...'" (p. 58).
My copy of Stirling's second "Lords of Creation" novel, In The Courts Of The Crimson Kings (New York, 2008), arrived this morning. I have already read and quoted from its Prologue which is printed as a preview at the end of The Sky People. The Crimson Kings are, or were, rulers of Mars whereas "the Sky People" is what Terrestrials are called on Venus. A Martian calls Terrestrials "'...the vaz-Terranan...'" (p. 23), echoing the "vaz-Terran" of Starkadians in Anderson's Ensign Flandry.
The Prologues of the two "Lords of Creation" novels are set in 1962 when probes land on Venus, then Mars. The action of The Sky People occurs 1988-1990 whereas ...Crimson Kings begins in 2000. And now I really must read some of the novel before I can post anything more about it. Different planet, different characters, a new beginning.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, I too noticed how the human Martians of IN THE COURTS OF THE CRIMSON KINGS called people from Earth the "vaz-Terranan." It reminded me of how the Tigeries of Starkadh called humans "the vaz-Terran" in Anderson's ENSIGN FLANDRY. It raises the question of whether this was accidental or deliberate on Stirling's part. If the latter, it might have been meant as a homage to Anderson.
Sean
For that matter, "Terranan" (possibly with an extra "a" in either the second or third syllable) was used by the people of Marion Zimmer Bradley's *Darkover* series to refer to Earth people, so "vaz-Terranan" COULD actually combine homage to two authors at once.
Dear Mr. Birr,
Darn! Not being familiar with Marion Zimmer Bradley's works, I did not think of how Stirling might have used "vaz-Terranan" as a homage to her as well as Anderson.
Sean
Yup, double homage!
Yup, double homage!
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