Saturday 20 July 2019

Fantasy And Realism

Nicholas van Rijn visits the fantasy setting of the Old Phoenix, the inn between universes, without comprising the hard sf of the Technic History in which he is a major character. How an author writing in different genres might subtly interconnect his various works while maintaining their respective narrative integrities has been one recurrent theme on this blog. In fact, there are relevant posts that I cannot readily find. For example, a known Time Patrol member might move among the characters in a twentieth century contemporary novel without making any explicit reference to his time traveling in that particular text.

In Dornford Yates' interconnected works, a woman called Eulalie:

features in the contemporary short story collection, Jonah and Co.;

visits Etchechuria, a magical kingdom concealed between France and Spain, in the fantasy novel, The Stolen March;

is mentioned in the contemporary thriller, Adele and Co., where one of the characters summarizes what we know became of Eulalie after her return from Etchechuria but, of course, without making any reference to the existence of that fabulous realm.

9 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

The curious co-Principality of Andorra, between France and Spain, might have played a role similar to Etchechuria if a writer had chosen to use Andorra as the site or locale of a Ruritanian fantasy. I'm rather sorry that I can't recall a single mention of Andorra in any of Anderson's works.

I would not call the multiversal Old Phoenix Inn a "fantasy." I would still call it hard SF because the idea of parallel or alternate universes is a sub theme of SF. And I would have liked to have known more about Old Nick's visit to the Old Phoenix!

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
But the Old Phoenix connects with fantasy worlds and appears in the fantasy novel, A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

True. So maybe the obsolete term "scientifantasy" is appropriate for describing the Old Phoenix Inn?

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Also, what authority has given the license to the inn? It is not explained, which it should be in sf, and sounds supernatural.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I never thought of where Mine Host and his wife got their license for the Old Phoenix before now. It could have a fantasy origin or STILL be somehow hard SF.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
The license is mentioned in one of the short stories and definitely sounds supernatural.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

In either "House Rule" or "Losers' Night."

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
Yes. I am about to look for it.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

And, of course, there is the Old Phoenix interludes in Anderson's A MIDSUMMER TEMPEST. And we get a glimpse of that multiversal inn in Harry Turtledove's "The Man Who Came Late," his contribution to MULTIVERSE.

Truth to say, I thought Turtledove's story something of a downer. Holger Carlsen and Alianora finally meet again after many years had passed, but a reunion had become impossible.

Sean