A pilot episode or opening narrative introduces and defines the characters. Every subsequent installment is a discrete and chronologically interchangeable incident in the lives of these already defined characters who rarely if ever go through any major life-changes during the course of the series. An occasional extra-melodramatic installment might presage a life-change which however fails to materialize, e.g., James Bond drafts a letter of resignation from the Secret Service... The biggest life-change is death. Apparent deaths followed by returns are a recurrent motif in some kinds of fiction.
Developmental/Biographical Types
A central character begins young, matures, then winds up aged:
Poul Anderson's David Falkayn graduates from apprentice through journeyman, trader team leader and secret founder of Supermetals to acting CEO of SSL, then Founder of a colony;
Anderson's Dominic Flandry graduates from Ensign through intermediate ranks to Fleet Admiral and informal Imperial adviser;
Anderson's Manson Everard progresses from Time Patrol recruit to hard-working Unattached agent to respected senior agent, still active while also supervising others.
Which kind of character is Nicholas van Rijn?
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I wondered just now if Dominic Flandry was ever formally appointed a member of the Imperial Policy Board?
And did Manse Everard ever rise to join the Middle Command of the Time Patrol?
And Nicholas van Rijn was sui generis! Well, he apparently his trading career poor before he acquired the means to found Solar Spice & Liquors. The rest was history!
Sean
Sean,
Flandry is deffo not on the Board by the end of his sub-series but we do not know what happened after that.
We are told that the Time Patrol organization is subtle so maybe Everard counts as "Middle Command" without formally being given that title? Again, we do not know what happens to him after 1990.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
If Crown Prince Karl succeeded his father Gerhart as Emperor, it's reasonable think he appointed Flandry to the Policy Board. We are told of how much Karl LIKED Flandry.
I too think Manse had at least de facto risen to the Middle Command at least after THE SHIELD OF TIME. The HIGH Command, of course, being the Danellians.
Sean
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