Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles: Mars;
Isaac Asimov, I, Robot: robots;
James Blish, The Seedling Stars: "pantropy";
Poul Anderson, Tales Of The Flying Mountains: "gyrogravitics";
Poul Anderson, Maurai: post-nuclear recovery;
Poul Anderson, Kith: STL interstellar travel;
ERB, The Moon Maid: Lunar invasion;
Larry Niven, Teleportation: teleportation.
Eight loose examples, three by Anderson. Whatever is said about sf is usually said about Anderson.
Studying a future history, an sf fan's mind moves either forward along a single timeline, e.g., with van Rijn on Diomedes, or sideways between timelines as above. Although we imagine multiple timelines, each future history usually remains autonomous except once when van Rijn visits the Old Phoenix.
This Bank Holiday weekend:
May Day March;
a moot;
the big annual charity car boot sale at Ryelands Park.
For the retired, life is a long weekend.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I've not thought of that before, short, focused future histories--in one or two volumes. But it makes sense.
I would have liked to have known more Nichola van Rijn's visit to the Old Phoenix Inn! How, when, where did the Inn appear to Old Nick? And it's plain he recognized Albert Einstein and his importance to history in "House Rule."
And Dominic Flandry was another character I would have been glad to see at the Old Phoenix.
Sean
One might argue that the Old Phoenix was either Heaven or Hell (depending upon the service).....
-kh
Keith,
But people visit there only fleetingly.
Paul.
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