In a Heinlein-model future history series, later stories are built on earlier stories like the higher on the lower levels of a pyramid. Thus, after two references to Pacific Colony in "Un-Man," (see The Daily Life Of The Future) the next story, "The Sensitive Man," begins inside this Colony, in its Mermaid Tavern. Also, there is no character continuity. Thus, the new viewpoint character is not an Un-man called Naysmith but a "sensitive man" (p. 103) called Dalgetty.
We are told that the Tavern is elaborately decorated:
pillars and booths of hewn coral;
stripers and swordfish on the walls;
murals of Neptune;
an aquarium behind the bar;
windows showing only seawater because the Tavern is under water.
Dalgetty looks around the bar and we gain a little more insight into the daily life of the future even though this man with enhanced senses turns out to be on yet another espionage mission.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I know you to have more details about the everyday daily lives of people in the SF we both read, esp. in Anderson's stories. And I agree such details can add color, depth, and background to those stories--which is good. But, I can't help but think that too much of that background describing might bore many readers. Not all of us will care about the minutia of daily life in the Psychotechnic or Technic stories.
Ad astra! Sean
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