A reputation can grow into a legend, even in the person's lifetime, and the legend can become a myth. For a living legend, see the Sean Connery film, Robin And Marion. (Connery and Robert Shaw play, respectively, Robin and the Sheriff in this film and also James Bond and Donovan Grant in From Russia, With Love. Legends indeed.) When I told someone that there is still a Sheriff of Nottingham and that he sometimes breaks strikes, my friend replied, "Legends live!" For a legend becoming a myth, see Elliot S. Maggin's Superman.
Poul And Karen reconstruct a legend in The King Of Ys.
Quiz questions: How often are van Rijn and Adzel referenced in the Flandry series and where?
Literary question: Is Flandry's Legacy an appropriate title for the concluding volume of Baen Books' Technic Civilization Saga?
Flandry's legacy is indeed that some planets are better prepared to survive during the Long Night. He rescued Vixen from alien conquest. Vixen founded New Vixen and a New Vixenite contacted descendants of rebels exiled by Flandry. Although the Terran Empire fell, the Merseian Roidhunate did not move in to occupy post-Imperial space. Flandry had done a lot to thwart the Merseians and maybe contribute to their decline.
Cairncross hoped to be remembered through the lifetime of the universe (see here): a truly mad wish.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Old Nick is mentioned at least once by name in the Flandry stories. He was mentioned as "Polesotechnarch van Rijn in Chapter VI of THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS. And Diana Crowfeather mentioned Adzel as "Adzel the Wayfarer" in Chapter 1 of THE GAME OF EMPIRE.
And I recall how Flandry said he wish the planet Nyanza to be prepared to survive after the Empire eventually fell in "The Game of Glory."
Sean
Sean,
Van Rijn and Adzel are each mentioned once more.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I'll be trying again to remember where else Old Nick and Adzel are mentioned in the Flandry stories.
Sean
Kaor, Paul,
In THE REBEL WORLDS, it is mentioned that Flandry has heard of the Togru-kon-Tanakh (I hope I got that right) of Vanrijn, to which the natives of Dido are compared. In THE DAY OF THEIR RETURN, (Flandry isn't on stage; Chunderban Desai is), there is mention,as I recall, of Adzel Square at the University of Aeneas.
There might be other mentions.
Best Regards,
Nicholas D. Rosen
Nicholas,
Those are the 2 further references I meant.
Paul.
Kaor, Nicholas!
Dang! You are right! I should have remembered how Flandry mentioned in THE REBEL WORLDS the curious "doubled bodied" race, if that word can be used, call "Vanrijn." Whom we see in "Hiding Place." And the same for "Adzel Square" at the University of Nova Roma on the planet Aeneas. I'm chagrined!
Now that I think of it, I'm puzzled why Adzel should have been commemorated on Aeneas. As far as I know Adzel never visited Aeneas, nor did David Falkayn and Chee Lan.
My Anderson street cred is shattered! (Smiles)
Sean
Kaor, Sean!
Smiles. For all we know, Adzel may have visited Aeneas; the text never states that he did not. Even if he did not, his contributions to planetology, and to saving Technic civilization from the Shenna, the Baburites, and the Seven in Space may well have resulted in his being honored on Aeneas.
Best Regards,
Nicholas D. Rosen
Kaor, Nicholas!
Good points. I have to agree Adzel MAY have visited Aeneas. Perhaps to lecture on planetology. And his exploits would make him worthy of being honored.
Best regards! Sean
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