Monday 12 September 2016

Meeting Myths II

SM Stirling, Against The Tide Of Years (New York, 1999), Chapter Four.

"'Odikweos son of Laertes, wannax of Ithaka among the Western Isles...'" (p. 66)

- is Odysseus,

- who says:

"'It is good to yield to drowsy night...'" (p. 70)

- which reads like a quotation from Homer although I cannot find it on google.

Greeks greet other by saying, "'Rejoice...'" (p. 73), as in Poul Anderson's The Shield Of Time.

How might time travel be described in ancient mythological language?

"'Moon Woman turned the years themselves in their tracks...'" (p. 70)

Alston, a time traveler from the twentieth century, comments:

"'...that's about as good an explanation as I've ever heard...'" (ibid.)

And it is Alston that gives this volume its title when she reflects on:

"All [the] things from Nantucket [that] sailed upstream against the tide of years..." (p. 73)

And time is against us now because it is getting too late for me to continue posting.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Dang! I completely missed or overlooked how the title of AGAINST THE TIDE OF YEARS came from some of Marian Alston's reflection. I am not OBSERVANT enough! Drat!

Sean