"Nor did the idea of dividing the stars up into spheres of influence seem like a safe one."
-Poul Anderson, Mirkheim IN Anderson, Rise Of The Terran Empire (Riverdale, NY, 2011), pp. 1-291 AT Chapter V, p. 86.
But it will happen, as the title of this omnibus volume reveals. The Baburites, and before them the Borthudians, have merely anticipated what Terrans, Merseians and Ythrians will do later.
A Baburite speaking for the Imperial Band of Sisema addresses Falkayn, in League Latin, as "Captain Ah-Kyeh." (ibid.) Falkayn is used to noticing individual differences between members of an alien species but, with "...the caterpillar-centaur-lobster..." (p. 84) shapes of the Baburites, he manages to notice only a difference in clothing.
Falkayn, like Flandry (see here), is obliged to do business with some very non-humanoid aliens.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I have to disagree with Falkayn, because he misses what seems a very obvious point. Given a FTL drive, then I think the possibility of some kind of large scale political entity of whatever form becomes thinkable. If people are restricted to STL means of reaching the stars, then the most likely result, politically, would be nations governing only single solar systems.
Sean
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