Manuel Argos is remembered as the Founder of the Terran Empire;
Nicholas van Rijn lives in folk memory on many planets as either hero or villain and at least one planet is named after him; (See here)
David Falkayn is remembered, at least on Avalon, as the Founder of the Avalonian colony;
Kossara Vymezal is remembered on Dennitza as a saint;
Axor has heard tales of Admiral Flandry while Flandry is still alive but we are not told how he is remembered after his death.
I mention this in the wake of combox discussion of Westerns And SF to which we may add that a group of tourists shown around the OK Corral included participants in that fabled gunfight.
Our single account of Manuel Argos may be a fiction within the fiction. For The Earth Book Of Stormgate, Hloch collects previously published narratives about van Rijn's activities while he and Arinnian/Christopher Holm compose new sourced accounts of David Falkayn's achievements on Merseia and at Mirkheim.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I had not known a planet was named after Nicholas van Rijn. Are you sure of that? We do know, from THE REBEL WORLDS, that the unusual intelligent beings discovered by Old Nick in "Hiding Place" was named after him.
Yes, Manuel Argos was remembered for centuries in legends about him. And we see mention in THE GAME OF EMPIRE of Emperor Georgios being remembered as a well meaning ruler.
Sean
sean,
Yes. See THE REBEL WORLDS IN YOUNG FLANDRY (January, 2010) (large format), Chapter Nine, p. 454. Flandry refers to "...the Togru-Kon-Tanakh of Vanrijn."
Paul.
Sean,
See also the new additional link on this post.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
You are right, I remember that now. I thought the "dual bodied" race called Togru-Kon-Tanakh of Vanrijn were called "vanrijns."
Sean
That story about Manuel Argos always struck me as one of Poul's weaker pieces. Stealing a subordinate's girlfriend is a good way to get a guy who will wait for the opportune moment and then shoot you in the back, often even at the cost of his own life.
Dear Mr. Stirling,
A good point! One thought I had was that "Collar of Iron"/"The Star Plunderer" was written so early in PA's career that he had not yet realized all of the possible implications or ramifications of his story plots. Another idea I had was that John Henry Reeves, the "author" of the story, was so deeply impressed by the character, charisma, abilities, etc., of Manuel Argos that he had no inclination, then or later, to kill him. And then, of course, the fact Kathryn voluntarily left Reeves for Manuel Argos sticks in my mind as something to be taken into account.
But yes, if Anderson had written "The Star Plunderer" even a few more years later, the problem you posed with Reeves might have been taken into account and been handled differently. And I do think "Plunderer" was quite a sophisticated story for Anderson to have written so early in his career.
Sean
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