As we proceed, Stirling's entity goes further, claiming:
"'We-are-abroad-and-loose-and-will-not-be-put-back...'" (Chapter Nine, p. 240)
Who and what are they? What do they want? The suspense has reached a crescendo. Are we reading sf or fantasy or has this series transcended that distinction? CS Lewis' eldila are both extraterrestrial and supernatural. That shook me when I read it.
Behind their assailants, Mary and Ritva glimpse:
"...something moved, planes of shining jet that receded into infinity, as if constructs greater than worlds squeezed down to interact with the tiny space of the planet, of this rooftop in one place and time." (Chapter Eight, p. 214)
That also recalls enormous eldila visiting Ransom on Earth. This is something cosmic and multidimensional.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I've said it before, I consider Stirling's Emberverse series to be hard SF/alternate history with a strong dash of fantasy. An unusual combination which may have been pioneered by CS Lewis in his Space Trilogy books. Examples from PA's works being the two OPERATION books, A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST, THREE HEARTS AND THREE LIONS. But, as we have both agreed previously, Stirling surpassed Anderson when it came to writing alternate timeline stories.
Sean
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