So far in SM Stirling's Emberverse series Vol II, even numbered chapters are about American characters introduced in Vol I and odd numbered chapters are about new British characters descended from (?) or at least linked to characters in a historical fiction diptych by Arthur Conan Doyle. I am finding the Brits more interesting because of their family history and because they are subjects of Charles III in Changed England.
Both groups contain a Tolkien fan and Tolkien's fantasies are suddenly more relevant to real life. When the two groups meet, our British hero's son and our American hero's sister-in-law might find that they have much in common... But I am never good at anticipating an author's intentions.
10 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And it was only this week, due to your blog pieces, that I belatedly realized S.M. Stirling deliberately modeled his Lorings of Tilford on A. Conan Doyle's historical fictions, SIR NGEL, and THE WHITE COMPANY.
There are so many books I should read and new ones I should read that I sometimes feel a bit paralyzed! But I will be keeping in mind the desirability of looking up Sir Arthur's
historical fictions.
Yes, I recall how Sir Nigel's son Alleyne is also a Tolkien fan in the Emberverse books. Yes, all of a sudden Tolkien's works has a practical aspect--altho perhaps he would not entirely approve of how they were used. One point to keep in mind about Alleyne Loring is that he was more rational or down to earth about the Middle Earth mythos--Astrid Larsson went REALLY overboard in her passion for Tolkien's "Histories." You will even see many of the new "Dunedain Rangers" worshiping God as Eru Iluvatar and venerating the angelic Valar.
Sean
Sean:
Well, yes. In *The White Company*, Alleyne Edricson is a viewpoint character and in time marries Sir Nigel's daughter. If a Sir Nigel Loring who's read *TWC* has a son, he's almost certainly going to at least THINK of naming the boy "Alleyne."
In the "Dies the Fire" universe, a Donan Coyle wrote books titled "The Free Companions" and others... 8-).
When I'm writing an alternate history, a timeline that -looks- like ours is always subtly different, as in "Conquistador".
Mr Stirling,
And there is an illustrious precedent. The Time Patrol timeline is like ours - except that John Watson's narratives were true accounts.
Paul.
Kaor, DAVID!
I agree! And I have read of people who named their children from favorite characters in THE LORD OF THE RINGS (to name another example besides Doyle's historical fictions). I strongly suspect some boys named Bilbo or Faramir suffered excruciating teasing from other children for having names like those!
Sean
Sean,
I think that there is a Kal-El out there as well.
Paul.
Dear Mr. Stirling,
That sank once you explained how CONQUISTADOR differs from ours on a truly subtle point: the male line of the Rolfe family died out in the 1600s and did not survive to have a John Rolfe VI in our 1940's.
I did wonder if you made an exception for DRAKON. That is, the truly monstrous Gwen Ingolfsson landed in what seems to be OUR Earth and universe.
Sean
Kaor, Paul!
And I have great sympathy for any lad burdened with such a name! Compared to that, "Faramir" isn't so bad! (Smiles)
Sean
Paul:
Yes, the actor Nicolas Cage named his second son "Kal-El."
Sean:
In Eric Flint's *Ring of Fire* series, one hippie character named his three sons Faramir, Elrond, and Gwaihir. But he's not a cruel man, and doesn't insist on the boys USING those names, so they go, for all but the most formal purposes, by Frank, Ron, and Gerry.
Kaor, DAVID!
I actually thought of that Eric Flint book and how it has a character named "Faramir." And, yes, his father did not insist on his sons using ONLY the names he had given them.
Sean
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