"What [sic] Earth was an ember, when hills and forests were vanished, when every trace of her folk from the time they entered the land to hunt elk as the glaciers melted to the hour when Father and Mother bade her goodbye in their old red-roofed house...when everything was gone? One senseless kick of some cosmic boot, and the whole long story came to an end and had all been for nothing." (p. 41)
This passage places Anderson's perspective on history and even on prehistory in the hard sf context of a futuristic sf novel.
Secondly, we must disagree with the concluding phrase. A history has value only if it never ends? But everything ends. The history had value while it was happening and is of value as long as it is remembered. After that, of course, there is no one to remember it but equally there is no one to judge that it was all for nothing.
We now judge that life has been worthwhile until now. We might die instantaneously a moment hence but life has been good overall while it was happening. Anyone who thinks not is free to commit suicide but I advise them to wait to see what happens next. Sf writers speculate about what will happen next but we experience it in each new moment.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Of course I agree with you about the value of life, but I think you are missing an obvious point. The lady you were quoting was suffering from stunning, overwhelming shock, dismay, anguish, etc. So this moment of despair was not surprising. And most importantly, she rallied from it!
Sean
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