In Technic civilization, individual human beings can fly not by flapping wings and pumping oxygen into their veins like Ythrians but at least with gravbelts.
On Avalon, gravebelt-fliers can embrace an Ythrian life-style by joining choths.
With its global ocean, many islands and long archipelago, Avalon offers many places to fly to and thus also many opportunities to fly away from the civilization, with only two small cities, on the north polar continent.
It is this freedom that makes us enjoy reading about Avalon and also glad that the Avalonians successfully resisted Terran annexation. On reflection, we might dislike some central aspects of the Ythrian life-style. However, Avalonian human beings would be free to adopt some aspects of Ythrianity but not others. Avalon represents Choice because some Ythrians, "Walkers," have adopted the human life-style of atomic individuals within the global community without a choth.
Hloch, author/editor of The Earth Book Of Stormgate, became a space traveler but:
"...wearied of the void and returned to the winds."
-Poul Anderson, The Earth Book Of Stormgate (New York, 1979), p. 2.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It's a pity we don't see any of these "Walkers" on Avalon. How truly different would they be from other Ythrians? For one thing, I don't think Walkers gave up using their wings to fly!
Sean
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