(i) "What Shall It Profit?";
(ii) World Without Stars;
(iii) The Boat Of A Million Years.
- but not in Harvest Of Stars because:
"Evolution had selected for parents who got out of the way of their adult children. Whatever else you might synthesize would be too alien to contain your mind." (28, p. 268)
(i) are impractical because they must be kept underground, shielded from all radiation.
(ii) need regular artificial memory editing.
(iii) are free from the limitations of (i) and (ii).
The characters in For Love Of Glory are in category (ii), (I think).
As with time travel, FTL and AI, Poul Anderson imagines not just alternative technologies but different physical laws - which makes him like several sf writers in one.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I would not consider the situation seen in FOR LOVE AND GLORY similar to WORLD WITHOUT STARS. Instead of the antithanatic of WORLD conferring permanent immunity from natural death, the people in FLAG have to periodically undergo life extension treatments to fend off old age and illness. And if someone so wishes, the life extension treatment can wear off and that person eventually dies of old age. And, yes, the people in FLAG also need to periodically edit memories to prevent data overload/dementia.
Sean
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