Poul Anderson, Author's Note IN Anderson, The Psychotechnic League (New York, 1981), pp. 283-285.The real world had diverged:
World War III has not happened yet;
important scientific discoveries and technological advances have happened;
people, institutions and Anderson's view of them had changed.
So why republish the series?
It still entertains, like the works of Rider Haggard and ERB;
it may evoke pleasant memories for older readers;
it will be new to younger readers;
it may be helpful to scholars of sf.
It does and is.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
One thought I had from reading that Author's Note to THE PYSCHOTECHNIC LEAGUE came from Anderson saying he had at one time been a "flaming liberal" (in the US sense of the word). I get the impression that at one time that included being at least sympathetic to ideas about setting up a World Federation. The failure of the UN and Anderson's eventual change of mind about liberalism caused him to take very different views.
You already know that I like VIRGIN PLANET best of the Psychotechnic series. It's as entertaining as the works of H. Rider Haggard and ERB.
Sean
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