Freya is a colonized planet on the fringe of human civilization. A century ago, the Freyans expelled outlaws whom they contemptuously call "Adderkops." The Adderkops have colonized an unknown planet and increased the number of their obsolete warships. (How?) They attack planets, exact tribute, conduct overpriced trade and have almost dissuaded the Polesotechnic League from expanding into their sector. Van Rijn, in his private yacht, the Hebe G.B., having followed clues and a neutrino trail, has located the Adderkops' home planet and is on the run from their warships which must prevent him from returning to civilization with the coordinates of their planetary system.
Needing repairs after a space battle, van Rijn will, if necessary, find and trade with some previously unknown intelligent species with an industrial civilization in this unexplored region of space. Imagine being able to do that.
See also Freya And Valhalla.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And the name "Adderkops" reminded me of the people who came to call themselves "Klopts" in Cordwainer Smith's (aka Paul M.A. Linebarger) story "The Crime And The Glory Of Commander Suzdal."
Sean
Paul and Sean:
"Attercop" is an archaic (obsolete except in dialects, according to Wiktionary) English word for spider, and is cognate to a Dutch term for "a peevish or ill-natured person." Tolkien uses it in The Hobbit when Bilbo taunts the giant spiders with this term, and the narrative casually mentions that "no spider has ever liked being called Attercop..."
The people who gave the space pirates the name "Adderkops" may have been at least partly of Dutch descent, or they may have likened the pirates' attacks to those of spiders. Either way, it likely also counts as a shout-out to The Hobbit.
David,
Indeed.
Paul.
Kaor, DAVID!
I love that suggestion of yours, that the "Adderkops" of "Hiding Place" may have been inspired by the "attercops" seen in THE HOBBIT. We know Anderson was a fan of Tolkien's major works, after all!
Sean
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