The King Of Ys by Poul and Karen Anderson is historical fiction with an element of fantasy.
The History of Technic Civilization by Poul Anderson is a hard sf future history.
The Emberverse series by SM Stirling is an alternative history/future history with a stronger element of fantasy although its deities are scientifically rationalized as manifestations of a Mind that has survived from an earlier cosmos.
Thus, here are three kinds of imaginative fiction.
Ys and the Technic History cannot appropriately fit into a single timeline but they can fit into a multiverse and indeed Nicholas van Rijn from the Technic History meets characters from works of fantasy in an inn between the worlds.
The previous post begins in the sea near Ys during the decline of the Roman Empire and ends in a globular cluster/nebula near the northern edge of another spiral arm long after the Fall of the Terran Empire with a character remembering the pre-cosmic void of Norse mythology. Thus, I feel that we have been backwards and forwards in time and contemplated almost everything - or, at least, as much as I can cope with tonight.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
While I agree the four volumes of THE KING OF YS cannot appropriately be placed in the same timeline as the Technic History, it does belong to its PAST. Because the Roman Empire and Christianity was to help shape so much of the future, including that covered by Technic Civilization.
I hope Nicholas van Rijn was not the only person from Technic times to visit the Old Phoenix. Dominic Flandry would also be worthy of being granted entry to that inn.
Sean
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