Copied from the Logic of Time Travel blog.
The
Temporal Bureau exists so that Robert Heinlein can tell a single
circular causality short story whereas the Time Patrol exists so that
Poul Anderson can present a series of stories of different lengths and
even novels about interventions in historical periods. Thus, "'- All You
Zombies -'" cannot have a sequel whereas the Time Patrol was eventually
expanded to a considerably greater length than its original four
stories.
Both organizations close causal circles
although the Patrol sometimes does this in order to prevent causality
violations which are impossible in the Temporal Bureau timeline.
The
Patrol operates from prehuman geological epochs at least until the time
of its post-human founders a million years hence. We know that at least
one Bureau operative has been in pre-Christian Crete but the
organization's headquarters seem to be under the Rockies in 1992. There
is no indication that the Bureau operates any later than the twentieth
century.
One of the Bureau's "By-laws of Time" is: "Ancestors Are Just People," which is relevant to the Patrol agent, Carl Farness.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It seems reasonable to think the agents of the Time Patrol in those "prehuman geological epochs" would be mostly scientists and specialists studying the life of the early Earth. With an Unattached agent occasionally dropping by to inspect and check up on things.
Ad astra! Sean
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