The end of the novel is the beginning of a universe. Hydrogen nebulae that will condense into galaxies are still close together:
"'And hydrogen atoms are still thick between them...'" (p. 184)
While the cosmic radius is still small, the astronomers:
trace the paths of plasma masses through the magnetic fields of the universe;
thus, discover which ways the matter and antimatter are going;
thus, finally, bring the ship:
"'...safely into the matter half of the plenum.'" (ibid.)
Even when the ship had traveled so far that it was rounding the curve of space (see here), there was no mention of matter and antimatter halves of the universe with the latter needing to be avoided. This reads like a cosmological afterthought. Why do the matter and antimatter move in different directions? Why do they not remain in close proximity and mutually annihilate, thus preventing the formation of a universe?
As Manse Everard said in a different context, "I only work here." See here.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I have wondered, just now, if the difficulties you pointed out here might have been partly caused by pressure to meet a deadline in submitting TAU ZERO for publication. Given more time, Poul Anderson might have resolved the ambiguities you noticed.
Sean
Indeed. Literarily, it is one the most significant science fiction novels ever written- just don't quibble over the technical details (as I have been doing)....
-kh
Kaor, Keith!
But hard core fans of Poul Anderson, JRR Tolkien, or Sir Arthur Conan Doyle LOVE to argue and quibble over the most abstruse and insignificant details! The fans can immersed in casuistic hair splitting over the most obscure points!
Sean
Thank you, Sean. AS mentioned in another folks, I don't have enough hair left to waste any one splitting!
-kh
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