Although Poul Anderson links Seafarers And Spacefarers, the contrast becomes sharp when Magnus, the retired captain living on a sea-battered island, tells his son, David:
"'Maclaren needs a gravitics man to help him take his data. The post is yours if you wish it.'" (2, p. 17)
It becomes clear that they are discussing science, not seafaring. As a younger and non-technical reader, I just accepted that there were four men in a spaceship but it matters what they do:
Seiichi Nakamura from Sarai, pilot/captain;
Terangi Maclaren from Earth, chief scientist;
David Ryerson from Earth, gravitics man;
Chang Sverdlov from Krasna, engineer/second in command.
The ship had been on a pre-set interstellar course to Alpha Crucis (important in Anderson's Technic History) but has been diverted toward a newly detected dead star and will be maneuvered around this nearer target by its newly arrived teleported crew.
We know of social and political differences between these four individuals. How will they interact not only with the physical universe as represented by a dead star but also with each other? And will any alien intelligences become involved? (One cover illustration answers that second question.)
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I can see how Terangi Maclaren would need another scientist or technician to assist him, but it's not clear in my memory what exactly a "gravitics man" DOES. Something to do with gravity?
Sean
Sean,
Yes. He describes himself as a "graviticist." (9, p. 64)
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And "graviticism" sounds like futuristic science, a science we don't yet have.
Sean
Post a Comment