Anderson has described similar households before. In fact, he is at home in diverse kinds of periods:
pasts;
technological futures;
non-technological futures;
futures with different kinds of technologies, like the Maurai History.
We read The Winter Of The World wondering whether it belongs in one of the histories but find that it does not. However, it does share a theme with some stories in the Technic History. Human beings adapting to altered conditions cease to be human.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Once you pointed it out, it does seem odd to have solar power panels "embedded" in apparently primitive surroundings.
As for the last sentence of this blog piece, I don't think the Kirkasanters of "Starfog" are no longer human simply because adapting to Kirkasant had made them unable to interbreed with humans from other planets. BUT, I believe some of the people in THE WINTER OF THE WORLD can arguably be said to no longer be human.
Sean
Sean,
As the ship's computer says in "Starfog," that is largely a semantic question. But the Kirkasanters are no longer interfertile with mainstream humanity.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I think semantics, the proper understanding of words and terms, are important. And I still think of the Kirkasanters of "Starfog" as being truly human, more so than than one of the peoples seen in WINTER.
And hasn't anyone ever before thought to stop and take a closer look at the NAME "Kirkasant"? What does it mean? "Kirk" sounds like Scottish dialect for "church," and "sant" for saintly or holy. It does make me wonder if the original colonists of Kirkasant named their planet from their faith.
Sean
Sean,
Right. And the Aeneans were particularly religious.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly, as were many Dennitzans, in Sector Taurus. I would like to have known more about the religion of the Kirkasanters.
Sean
Making a photovoltaic panel requires a rather high industrial capacity. However, making a flat plate solar collector to provide hot water just requires the capacity to make clear sheets of flat glass & metal sheets and tubes. Perhaps the 'sunpower collector' is the latter sort. Rereading 'Winter of the World' might clarify this.
Kaor, Jim!
I think the Rogaviki seen in THE WINTER OF THE WORLD would be able to make flat plate solar collectors.
I would guess the civilizations seen in WINTER, both the Barommian ruled Rahidian Empire and its rival in the eastern half of our Australia would be at about the level of tech reached in our 1860.
Ad astra! Sean
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