SM Stirling's Sergeant Anderson made me think not only of Poul Anderson but also James Blish's Sergeant Anderson;
Blish's Sergeant Anderson explains three of the antiagathics so that led to summarizing anti-ageing processes in the works of five sf writers, including, of course, Poul Anderson.
However:
Blish introduces his Sergeant Anderson in Cities In Flight, Volume II, whereas the antiagathics had been introduced in Volume I so I should check to see whether any more of these anti-ageing drugs are listed there;
in the previous post, I was not clear about the difference between merely lengthening lifespans and prolonging them indefinitely;
as regards lengthening lifespans, I should also mention -
- that improved hygiene and medicine enable Isaac Asimov's extrasolar colonists to live well into their second century;
that antisenescence and DNA repair enable Anderson's Dominic and Miriam Flandry to consider having children even though he is approaching seventy and she is approaching fifty;
that Brian Aldiss' contributions to Four For The Future (which I should now reread) are about a couple who live for a very long time.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
As so often, I find Poul Anderson's speculations on the matter of extending life spans more plausible than those of most other writers. I actually think something similar to Technic Civilization's antisenescence and DNA repair to be possible, someday.
Altho PA used the idea of indefinite extension of human life spans in some of his works (e.g., WORLD WITHOUT STARS and THE BOAT OF A MILLION YEARS), I don't really think an indefinite extension of lifespans is possible.
Sean
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