Monday, 7 May 2018

Seeing Van Rijn

We very rarely read Nicholas van Rijn's point of view - twice in "Margin of Profit" and once in Satan's World? (I will have to check - or someone else might?)

Usually, a work introduces a character who then meets/interacts with van Rijn:

Captain Torres;
Eric Wace;
Emil Dalmady;
Captain Bahadur Torrance;
Joyce Davisson;
David Falkayn;
the first person narrator of "The Master Key";
Adzel and Chee Lan;
Coya Conyon;
David and Coya Falkayn;
the first person narrator of an Old Phoenix story.

What a list.

We read about Torres, Wace, Torrance, Davisson and the narrator of "The Master Key" only once, Dalmady and Coya twice. The two times with Dalmady are in Hloch's later written Introduction and in the story, not in different stories. We encounter Falkayn, Adzel and Chee Lan before they meet van Rijn. Thus, although van Rijn definitely dominates, nevertheless we appreciate a varied perspective on the Polesotechnic League - including one character in yet another story quoting what Old Nick van Rijn said in a telescreen interview.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And many times the reactions of persons who meet Old Nick is one of rage, frustration, exasperation. And which sometimes turns into grudging respect and admiration.

Sean