Poul Anderson Appreciation: Complications: An Update

Monday 26 October 2015

Complications: An Update

Poul Anderson's Mother Of Kings is, rightly, a demanding text. The reader is expected to remember characters who were introduced in extremely condensed passages and who have been off-stage for several chapters. Many Norse names begin with "Thor-." Determined not to be defeated by such a dense novel, I will carefully reread earlier chapters and summarize the information in a later post, other activities permitting.

Meanwhile, SM Stirling's Draka Volume III, like earlier ordered books, is taking forever to arrive by post but will eventually be discussed here.

Brief update; breakfast beckons.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...: Kaor, Paul!

I remember how Poul Anderson discussed in his Introduction to HROLF KRAK'S SAGA how similar many Scandinavian names were, beginning as they did with either the "Hro..." he mentioned or the "Thor..." you cited. I fear I didn't read MOTHER OF KING the way you are doing, with detailed notes and rereading! I simply accepted the complications caused by Scandinavian names and read on.

And I'm ANNOYED at how it is taking so long for your copy of Stirling's THE STONE DOGS to reach you! I've seldom had such difficulties when I ordered books by mail. The postal gremlins seem quite hostile to you! (Smiles)

I'll be very interested to know what you think of THE STONE DOGS and any possible Andersonian allusions, turns of phrase, etc, you find in the book. To say nothing of your reaction to the horrid saga of the Draka!

Unlike what you see in UNDER THE YOKE, you will more of the Draka as they lived in "peace time," with perhaps fewer instances of the kind of overt brutality seen in UNDER. No surprise, perhaps, UNDER was set in the years immediately after the Eurasian War (with flashbacks to the war itself) when the Draka conquest of Europe was still being violently enforced and made secure (as they defined "security").

Sean; 26 October 2015 at 15:39