This question has arisen again: Does "The Chapter Ends" belong in Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History? See Introductions And Interstitial Material and combox. For previous blog discussions, see:
Chronological Questions
Chronological Questions II
Fifty Thousand Years
"The Galactic Synthesis Of Human Psychodynamics With Interstellar Coordination," here
Later Than We Think
The Human Form II
Despite my initial skepticism, I have come to accept that there are just enough common references to make it acceptable to regard the events of "The Chapter Ends" as occurring in the very remote future of the Psychotechnic History.
Thus, I return to my comparison of four future history series each culminating in a further future:
in Anderson's Psychotechnic History, human beings and their allies control cosmic forces and migrate to the Galactic Center;
in Anderson's Technic History, human civilizations spread among several spiral arms of the galaxy;
in James Blish's The Seedling Stars, Adapted Men spread through the galaxy;
in Larry Niven's Known Space History, unaging and genetically lucky human beings with fail-safe high technology inhabit the Thousand Worlds.
These four scenarios are all interstellar but also differ. Niven's is particularly utopian, an equivalent in this respect being Blish's The Quincunx Of Time.
Despite the many future interstellar wars in various works, Anderson also shows us rational species cooperating:
oxygen- and hydrogen-breathers share out the galaxy in "The Chapter Ends";
human beings and Ythrians share out the Avalonian continent of Corona in the Technic History;
also in the latter series, Merseians have a House in the tri-cameral parliament of Dennitza.
Every possibility: causes of conflicts but also potentials for peace.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And I in turn simply don't SEE enough in "The Chapter Ends" to make me think it belongs with the undoubted Psychotechnic stories. Things like the Galactics being able to travel FTL without needing a space ship by an effort of mind alone has no inkling in the undisputed Psychotechnic stories to make me think "Chapter" belongs there.
Sean
Sean,
Psychotecnicians, Integrators and migration toward Sagittarius.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
But nothing in the undisputed Pyschotechnic stories to make me think such things would end with the powers used by the Galactics of "Chapter."
Sean
Sean,
No, those powers were developed later. But a lot of time had passed.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I fear we are not going to agree about "The Chapter Ends"! (Smiles) I still think of that story as being a one off, stand alone, non series piece by Anderson. If Sandra Miesel had not shoehorned it into the Pyschotechnic series, I don't think anyone would even think of including "Chapter" with that timeline.
For me, the matter would be settled if we ever see proof that Anderson himself thought of "The Chapter Ends" as one of the Pyschotechnic stories, rather than simply accepting an editorial decision by Miesel.
Sean
Sean,
But surely "The Chapter Ends" was in the Psychotechnic Chronology before Sandra Miesel wrote her inrerstitial material?
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I checked both the older collection STARSHIP and the more recent THE COMPLETE PSYCHOTECHNIC LEAGUE (Volume 3 [Baen, July 2018]), and the Chronology of the Psychotechnic stories does include "The Chapter Ends." But, as I argue below, that does not completely settle the matter.
In the "Author's Note" or "Afterword" written by Anderson and included in the first volume of THE COMPLETE PSYCHOTECHNIC LEAGUE (Baen: October 2017), we read (page 229): "...I drew up a chart in the manner of Heinlein and, from time to time, completed a piece whose title was on it." Now if Anderson had included "The Chapter Ends" on his chart, that would settle the matter and I would accept that story as also belonging to the Psychotechnic series. Despite my personal belief that it does not FIT into it. But see below.
Next, when I checked the Chronology of the Pyschotechnic series, in Volume 3 of THE COMPLETE PSYCHOTECHNIC INSTITUTE, the note at the bottom read: "This chart was prepared by Sandra Miesel, based in PART [my emphasis, SMB] on Poul Anderson's chronology published in STARTLING STORIES (Winter, 1955). Many dates are approximate. Ms. Miesel is responsible for any errors." If "The Chapter Ends" was NOT included by Anderson in his published Chronology, I would argue that supports my belief "Chapter" does not belong in the series.
Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of the Winter 1955 issue of STARTLING STORIES, which means I can't check to see if "The Chapter Ends" was included in Anderson's published Chronology of the Psychotechnic series, as written till then. "Chapter" was originally pub. by DYNAMIC SCIENCE FICTION, 1953. So, it could have been included in the STARTLING STORIES chronology, but I don't know that.
In conclusion, we need more evidence before this debate can be settled.
Sean
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