Schuster reflects:
"Every religion in Earth's past, no matter how exclusive in theory, had had influential thinkers who were willing to borrow ideas from contemporary rivals." (VI, p. 251)
How far will this process go in the Technic History?
Buddhism is imported to Ikrananka;
Jerusalem Catholicism goes to Woden;
the Kabbalah is introduced, by Schuster, on one Ivanhoan continent, and the idea of Christmas, by other League traders, elsewhere.
Schuster's intention, explicitly, is not to convert Ivanhoans to Judaism but to subvert their existing theology. However, the same process will occur on the other continent and planets mentioned: interaction between existing and imported ideas. Ikrananka already has two religions, demons on the Dayside and gods in the Twilight Zone. Now both will interact with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. We do not know what the Wodenites believed before the missionaries arrived but some will retain their pre-contact beliefs while those beliefs are in some way influenced by Catholicism. So no one knows what will happen.
8 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And you already know of the questions I raised about how Ikranankans of the Katandaran Empire could have a "religion" of devils. I can see why the worries and fears of why the subjects of that realm were so paranoid, because of steadily worsening conditions on the Dayside of Ikrananka.
This is as good a place as any to mention how I read and finished Stirling's SHADOWS OF ANNIHILATION. It's still rather early since the book was released, so I will refrain for a while from discussing one or two major plot points I regret. Aside from that, I enjoyed SHADOWS.
I feel free to discuss a MINOR point, however. One of the things I was looking for while reading SHADOWS were allusions to the works of Anderson or characters he created. I only found one, very near the end of the book, at the beginning of the Epilogue, Director Wilkie speaking: "Agent Crowfeather, your men will watch the entrances. See to it." Anyone who has read Anderson's book THE GAME OF EMPIRE will probably remember CROWFEATHER was the surname of Flandry's daughter Diana Crowfeather.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
I have a few more, fairly broad, non spoiler comments to make about SHADOWS OF ANNIHILATION. I don't like Theodore Roosevelt's centralizing of more and more powers in the Federal gov't, that we see in the Black Chamber books. That inevitably increases the natural tendency of any gov't, to be as autocratic as possible.
I frankly dislike TR's so called "Progressive" ideas and policies. Had I been an adult in 1912, the only man I could have voted for was William Howard Taft. And I'm frankly glad Old Guard Republicans basically threw the election to Woodrow Wilson in our timeline. Wilson had many of the same bad ideas as TR, but was far less able and competent!
True, Wilson did perpetrate his share of making a botch of WW I and the Versailles settlement, but no one could have predicted that in 1912.
I noted with interest how SHADOWS OF ANNIHILATION ends with TR becoming alarmed by the growing power and ambitions of Japan. I think the next Black Chamber book will focus on the Far East.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I think you are right.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Too bad we have to wait so long for Black Chamber 4!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I want to know more about the Earths of CONQUISTADOR.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
That would be good too, if Stirling ever felt the inspiration to go back to the CONQUISTADOR timeline. And I particularly regret the legal difficulties preventing from publishing his fifth Draka book, UNTO US A CHILD.
Stirling has also stated he would very much like to try his hand writing a Dominic Flandry story. I hope that may be possible, if the necessary arrangements can be made with the Anderson estate. Perhaps as a contribution to a second MULTIVERSE?
Ad astra! Sean
Yup, Black Chamber #4 starts in San Francisco's Chinatown and moves from there to Singapore and Shanghai.
BTW, I recommend Ovidia Yu's period mysteries set in Singapore in the 1930's -- THE FRANGIPANI TREE MYSTERY is the first, and very good.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Yet another writer I should look up! Just when I had my mind focused on Leslie Charteris. (Smiles)
But I will look up Ovidia Yu.
Ad astra! Sean
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