Three Stages Of Compilation

In The Earth Book Of Stormgate, twelve previously published works were not only collected in one volume but also given new introductions and an afterword based on the background provided by the novel, The People Of The Wind. These thirteen later-written passages significantly enhance Poul Anderson's Technic History and, fortunately, are incorporated into The Technic Civilization Saga.

Thus, "Birthright" was:

published in Analog in 1970;

republished, with a new introduction, as "Esau" in the Earth Book in 1978;

again republished, with its Earth Book introduction, as "Esau" in The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume I, in 2009 -

- thus, finally, taking its rightful place as one of the forty-three installments in the first complete edition of the massive Technic History.

The Earth Book introductions were an opportunity to impart new information about some of the characters in the twelve collected works and also in The People Of The Wind, e.g.:

Christopher Holm contributes to the Earth Book;

James Ching eventually settled on Catawrayannis;

Emil Dalmady told his daughter, Judith, of incidents that she recorded in stories that were republished in the Earth Book.

We value these non-series characters and welcome further information about them.