Neil Gaiman is another fantasy writer who has several parallels with Poul Anderson. Both Poul Anderson and James Blish have characters who travel between galaxies and survive beyond the end of the current universe.
We discuss authors from three periods:
before our time;
in living memory;
still alive and active -
- although it is really a single living tradition. Each generation becomes part of the background of its successors. Sf writers have coined the terms and/or contributed the concepts:
Frankenstein monster;
time machine;
time travel;
robot;
robotics;
future history;
alternate history;
waldo;
waterbed;
communications satellite;
gas giant -
- and probably more.
Poul Anderson's contributions to such themes have not impacted public consciousness in the same way as some others (I don't think) but we here know that they are substantial.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
But I think Poul Anderson did coin some terms, such as "xenology," "xenosophont," and "sophotect" that should pass into common use if life is found on other worlds and if AIs are created.
Sean
Sean,
Very good.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Thanks! If I come across or remember more terms of this kind coined by Anderson I'll list them.
Sean
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