Monday, 2 April 2018

Wind Boomed

Wind and weather often complement and underline dramatic dialogue in Poul Anderson's works, e.g., see here.

Other examples -

Miriam Abrams says:

"'...I don't want to begin again with another Ramnuan. Our sisterhood, Yewwl's and mine was wonderful. I'll always warm my soul by it, but it came to be when we were young, and that is gone.'
"The forest soughed. Wind boomed through the canyon. 'I stayed on Terra, Dominic, because of hoping you and I would meet again.'"
-Poul Anderson, A Stone In Heaven IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, 2012), pp. 1-188 AT XIV, pp. 187-188.

The content of Miriam's dialogue did not require the forest, wind or canyon but they enhance the text immeasurably.

Targovi says:

"'...everything I have seen, heard, discovered on Daedalus shouts a single thing. Admiral Magnusson plans to rebel. His forces will hail him Emperor, and he will lead them in an assault on Gerhart's.'
"Silence fell, save for wind, sea, and ship."
-Poul Anderson, The Game Of Empire IN Flandry's Legacy, pp. 189-453 AT p. 245.

Silence from Diana but the wind seems to comment.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

S.M. Stirling is the only other SF writer I recall who uses natural phenomena to stress and underline what his characters say.

I thought of Jerry Pournelle as well, but I'm not sure.

Sean