Friday, 9 November 2018

Troubled Times

Poul Anderson describes troubled times extremely effectively in several novels and again in Harvest Of Stars, 36:

explosions destroy two Sepo HQ buildings;
armed forces go to full alert;
the President declares martial law;
Global News Associates broadcasts a communication from the Army of Liberation which quotes the US Declaration of Independence;
Wang expects civil disobedience, strikes, sabotage, riots and killing;
Kyra replies that most of the killing will be by militia and police;
crowds gather in several megalopolitan regions;
armored militia and armed flitters advance but do not yet try to disperse the crowds...

These are the times when things can change.

I was in Dublin when, after three days of demonstrations and a strike, the British Embassy was burned down.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

A minor correction, I think you meant to say the President of the North American Union declared martial LAW. I was also reminded of the Gordon Riots of 1780, which shook the gov't of Lord North (the Riot Act was read out and force was used to crush the riots).

Sean