Stirling's heroine wants to kill her adversary but also imagines exchanging confidences with him while drinking Wotan's mead in Valhalla. This is a powerful image. Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry imagines the Founder of the Terran Empire in a hypothetical hell or Valhalla. See Mythical References In Hard SF, here. Anderson's character, Roan Tom, is imagined in his version of Valhalla where Earthgrown tobacco is available. See A Tragedy Of Errors. For both of these imaginary hereafters, see Meeting Places.
Anyone can wistfully imagine an endless supply of mead or tobacco. But a hereafter has also been embedded in many belief systems. Two Catholic priests met socially at my parents house. When they parted, one of them said, "Well, we'll meet at the Day of Judgment, if not before!" They believed that.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And in Stirling's A MEETING AT CORVALLIS, we see those two fierce enemies, Norman Arminger and Mike Havel, killing each other! Which gave the first Lord Bear some grim amusement as he was dying.
I recall as well how the Founder of the Empire, Manuel Argos, was imagined to be in either a hypothetical hell or Valhalla in A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS. And Roan Tom as well. So Luz fancying herself as a Valkyrie conversing affably with Horst in Valhalla was a natural thought.
And like those two Catholic priests you mentioned I do believe the hereafter is real.
Sean
Sean,
We later see Arminger in Purgatory.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Your right! Mathilda Arminger had a vision of her father in Purgatory during the Quest to Nantucket Island.
Sean
Sandra Arminger's last words: "Norman, we have to talk."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I actually thought of those words of Lady Sandra as I was writing my second comment above! (Smiles)
Sean
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