I am not about to discuss this at length now because it is getting late but this story might have a curious status. On the one hand, it is set within Poul Anderson's Technic Histiry timeline:
it opens on the planet, Ansa;
it refers to green-skinned Shalmuans;
as we read further, it will inform us about the interstellar empire that Manuel Argos had proclaimed in "The Star Plunderer."
However, as Michael Karageorge points out in the introduction, the story:
reads like Imperialist propaganda;
describes beings with extraordinary psychic powers that do not exist anywhere else in the known galaxy.
So is this an example of science fiction within a science fictional narrative? We read about the future Terran Empire while the Terrans read about the fabulous Black Nebula? I will give these questions more thought when rereading the story.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
That might be the best way to make sense of "Sargasso of Lost Starships," a fictionalized account with some bits of "history," set in the "real" history of the Technic Civilization stories.
Sean
It's a clever conceit; probably it's just a very early work of Poul's, before he really hit his stride but showing his strong promise.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, while very much a "pulpish" story, "Sargasso of Lost Starships" was very readable. Altho I strongly suspect the more hoity toity types of SF readers will sneeringly dismiss it. And it was one of PA's earlier stories, first pub. in PLANET STORIES, in January 1952.
Sean
Post a Comment