The Writing Of The Technic History
The Writing Of The Technic History II
"Tiger By The Tail" was published in 1951. "The Plague Of Masters" was published in 1961. Yet the latter was the first time that Flandry referred to van Rijn. Thus, for ten years, the Technic History had existed without being recognized as such even by its author. About eleven installments were published before it was realized that they were all installments of a single series.
In the 1950s, there were three elements: Flandry; early Terran Empire; van Rijn. The first and the third came together in "The Plague Of Masters" but when was it first acknowledged that the Empire founded by Argos and the Empire defended by Flandry were one and the same? Was that also in "The Plague Of Masters"? The information is somewhere on the blog.
Addendum, a few minutes later:
In
“Hunters of the Sky Cave,” Flandry reveals that the Empire he has
defended in “Tiger by the Tail,” “Honorable Enemies,” “The Warriors from
Nowhere” and “The Game of Glory” is the same Empire that the leader of a
slave rebellion, Manuel Argos, had founded in “The Star Plunderer.” In
“A Plague of Masters,” Flandry reveals that Manuel’s Empire was preceded
by the Polesotechnic League of Nicholas van Rijn’s period as described
in “Margin of Profit” and The Man Who Counts. Since mercantile expansion was later followed by imperial decline, the combined series is about social change.
-copied from here.
Readers might notice that "The Plague Of Masters" is also "A Plague of Masters."
-copied from here.
Readers might notice that "The Plague Of Masters" is also "A Plague of Masters."
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I know this is a minor point, but we don't actually SEE Manuel Argos founding the Terran Empire in "The Star Plunderer." Rather, the Founder to be was PLANNING to set up the Empire. Manuel Argos first needed to gain control of Earth before he could proclaim the Empire. And that probably took at least several years to do.
Also, I think it is too easy to say mercantile expansion was followed by Imperial decline. Because the Empire had existed for centuries by the time Flandry was born. So, there were PHASES in the Empire's history: vigorous expansion and reasonably able and just government before the decline began.
Sean
Sean,
To the 1st point, yes, but I am quoting something from 2012.
To the 2nd point, I wrote "...later followed by..." Having decided to make Flandry's period a sequel to van Rijn's, Anderson had to explain how expansion was later followed by decline with, of course, stages in between.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Understood. I thought you SEEMED to be saying that the Empire declined immediately from its founding. Whereas, of course, as you said, there were "stages" in its history.
Sean
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