Both the Table and the League dissolve - but so does every human institution, says you. Both Tennyson and Anderson convey the sense of the good old days that are gone. Anderson's series, being a fictional history, shows beginnings as well as endings. He quotes Shelley, "The world's great age begins anew..." See here.
Arthur says that God fulfills Himself through successive social orders whereas the Ythrian Hirharouk sees God's shadow over van Rijn's way of life.
Falkayn's granddaughter named the planet Avalon from Arthurian myth. Arthur's account of "Avilion," as also his inner cloud of doubt, reflects the hopes and skepticisms of many. Anderson's characters include Christians and agnostics. Van Rijn, a Catholic, hopes for Heaven but also plans an active retirement on the long road between the stars. Generations of freedom on Avalon were perhaps the best that Falkayn was able to hope for so the planet was named appropriately.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
A socio/political system, under whatever form, which is both not too bad and accepted as legitimate by its people is about the best mankind can hope for, absent the Second Coming of Christ. We do see Anderson experimenting with "transhumanist" ideas as long ago as BRAIN WAVE and as late as THE HARVEST OF STARS/GENESIS books. But the fact that we see flaws and dissatisfaction even there shows Anderson's continuing skepticism of any kind of "ideal" society being permanent.
Sean
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