in the Biblical Genesis, God creates the heaven and the earth, i.e., the universe;
in Poul Anderson's Genesis, post-organic intelligences spread from Earth through the galaxy and beyond, forming a collective mind;
in SM Stirling's Emberverse series, Mind, originating on Earth, survives the end of the universe and directs the evolution of a subsequent universe.
In the subsequent Emberverse universe, a hostile Power aims to destroy Mind on Earth. However, the Mind that has survived from the previous universe would still exist, I think?
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And I think the real point of Anderson's GENESIS was how the AI of Earth, Gaia, brought back ORGANIC intelligence, the human race, from extinction. The "envoy" sent by the extra-Solar AIs to investigate Earth was not at all sure it was right of Gaia to bring mankind back from extinction--not if the human race had chosen to die out rather than continue a pointless, meaningless existence.
Somehow, I missed all this about "Mind" you are discussing in my first reading of the Emberverse books. Which chagrins me!
Sean
Sean,
You would have noticed it when reading but it is very condensed and I think that condensed texts are harder to recall.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I think you are right about "condensed" texts being harder to recall. Which touches on why I like to reread books I enjoyed reading, because you get to notice details forgotten or missed in a first reading.
Sean
Sean,
Precisely one of the points of this blog and particularly applicable to Poul Anderson.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I've TRIED to tell friends of mine that good books should be read more than once, not just tossed aside and forgotten after being read a single time only. For reasons we have both of us given.
Sean
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