Dagny Beynac's career continues: she was the Tycho region delegate to the Coordinating Committee and remains a power on Luna.
Future history continues:
the Grand Jihad erupted on Earth;
the global economy collapsed;
there were revolutions and lawlessness;
the UN broke down;
Selenites formed the Coordinating Committee to respond to emergencies;
Fireball helped without taking over the government of Luna;
the new World Federation, based in Hiroshima, establishes a Peace Authority, dissolves the Committee and appoints a governor general for the Lunar Authority who feels obliged to negotiate with Dagny.
In Robert Heinlein's Future History, the UN, then the Federation, has the Space Patrol.
In Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History, the UN is succeeded by the Solar Union with its Solar Guard.
We discern general trends within future histories.
8 comments:
Paul:
"It's all pretty hush-hush, but this term Terran Federation is a tentative name for a proposed organization to take the place of the U.N. if that organization breaks up."
— H. Beam Piper, "The Edge of the Knife," published 1957, set in late 1973, about a year before the Thirty Days' War (World War III)
Paul:
I should've thought to add that what saved the U.S. from defeat in the Thirty Days' War was secret missile bases on the Moon, so there's that connection to your post as well.
David,
Trust you to trump me with Piper! (I can't read everything, you know!)
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I would like to have known more about the Grand Jihad. I recall Anson Guthrie saying, perhaps in HARVEST OF STARS before this time of chaos started, that more fortunate places on Earth would only see light skirmishing--but that in other places there would be a blood tsunami. Yes, I fear Anderson might still turn out to be entirely too prophetic!
Sean
David,
Sercon (serious and constructive) reply: Maybe you could summarize Piper's future history, indicating how it parallels better known (to me) future histories? My only experience of Piper was starting to read LORD KALVAN OF OTHERWHEN but not staying with it: sort of like Anderson, only less so?
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I've read shamefully few of the works of H. Beam Piper, mostly his LITTLE FUZZY stories, far too long ago. But, you can find an article written by John F. Carr discussing Piper's "future history" in the FAll 1979 issue of the BULLETIN OF THE SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS OF AMERICA: "The Terrohuman Future History of H. Beam Piper." I think you have a copy of that issue OF the BULLETIN?
Sean
Sean,
Yes. I have read that. I remember it as lacking much detail.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Dang! Then it may come down to you needing to find some of the works of Piper.
Sean
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