(The dialogue is scripted by me but based on Anderson's text.)
Spacemen: We need a starport in your planetary system.
The elders of Landomar: But a starport on the ground would disturb our timeless oneness with our planet.
Spacemen: Then we will build it in orbit.
Elders: Acceptable. From orbit, you can visit our villages and farms, hunt in our forests, sail on our oceans and spend your money here.
Elders (later): Now that City (the orbiting starport) has grown, our younger generations are visiting it and even working there. This is disturbing.
Sociodynamicists (hired by the Spacemen): Extrapolating the trend shows that, at most, a few small space-directed service enterprises will develop on the ground. This will not disturb your timeless oneness with your planet.
When the sociodynamic extrapolation has come to pass, Argens visits Landomar for stores, isotopes etc and to hire a gunner but fails in this last objective because the applicants lack aptitude except for one hunter and the psychograph shows that he enjoys killing too much.
Notable points:
exact sciences of society and psychology;
farming and hunting on Landomar.
Relevant to previous post: Argens is eager to return to City because Wenli is ill. He wants her to recover so that he can remember her as happy because she will be an adult by the time he returns from his next expedition. This entire civilization operates on a different time-scale than the one we are used to.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The civilization of WORLD WITHOUT STARS operating on a different time scale than ours? That goes to show how carefully Poul Anderson thought out the likely implications and consequences of something like the "antithanatic."
One thing I thought lacking in WORLD was any mention of any kind of organized religions (except among the aliens Argens and his crew ended up getting stranded among). Which Anderson made up for in FOR LOVE AND GLORY. How might the antithanatic have affected theological and philosophical reflections?
Sean
Post a Comment