Poul Anderson's fiction celebrates life. See here and here. It may be in individuals:
"A priest...his features aquiline and lively." (Time Patrol, p. 267)
"Gisgo...his weathered nutcracker face full of life." (p. 313)
- or in collective activities and enterprises like busy docks, a market place or a crowded street. In the Tyrian docks:
"The vitality was well-nigh overwhelming." (p. 232)
"It would die at last, all of this, centuries hence, as everything must die; but first, how mightily would it have lived! How rich would be its heritage!" (p. 328)
In a Tyrian street, booths sell fabrics, draperies, rugs, glass, jewelry, figurines carved in ivory or cast in metal, amulets, charms, geegaws, food, drink, utensils, weapons, instruments, games, toys - this reminds me of a market place on another planet in Anderson's Technic History.
Pp. 327-328 present a colorful description of the commerce and traffic in the Egyptian Harbor. However, since I must shortly go out to seize some life on a sunny evening, I will end this summary here!
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The market place in the Old Town of Olga's Landing on the planet Imhotep in THE GAME OF EMPIRE comes to mind.
Sean
Precisely!
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