Future Histories Beginnings II

Future histories are just one kind of futuristic fiction and can be compared with one-off works. See Shield And The Future History. Several futuristic fictions begin after a period of global conflict. Among Poul Anderson's works:

in Shield, two atomic wars;
in Vault Of The Ages, World War III;
in Twilight World, World War III;
in the Psychotechnic History, World War III;
in the Technic History, the Chaos;
in the Maurai History, the War of Judgment;
in the Rustum History - I am about to reread and be reminded.

One way to prevent the opening installments of a future history from becoming dated during the author's lifetime is to set them further in the future, which Anderson does in the Technic History. SM Stirling's approach is to set even his present day works in an alternative timeline although the alternation might be slight.

The Rustum History begins with a character who has risen from "Lowlevel," recalling the "low-level" in Shield.