In I, we were told that a large apartment building was "...a city in its own right..." (p. 22) In V, we learn what that means. Inside the single great building that is Frisco Unit, an express elevator takes Naysmith:
"...swiftly past the lower levels of shops, offices, service establishments, and places of education and entertainment, up to the residential stories." (p. 38)
On the 107th level, he travels east, then half a mile north, on slideways to his destination where the rubbery floor absorbs the slight shock of leaving the slideway.
We also learn that "postwar resettlements" (VI, p. 44) are called "colonies." Thus, Sofie, "...an engineer on the Pacific Colony project..." (IV, p. 36) lives in "...a small prefab in one of the colonies..." (p. 37)
Brigham City, Utah, not a colony because it existed pre-War, has almost entirely adopted modern layout and architecture. Many from the City commute by airbus to work on the Pacific Colony project and elsewhere.
Biomedical techniques of diet, exercise and chemistry applied from birth prolong youth.
Naysmith, with degrees in epistemology and communications theory, is a cybernetic epistemologist, cybernetic analyst or basic-theoretical consultant which he describes as troubleshooting with ideas. Prior is a semantic analyst for a trading company. Donner's widow, Jeanne, works at home as a mail-consultant semantic linguist.
Many people, although not the Donners, live in free-marriage groups.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I did wonder why no mention was made of churches or chapels in this giant apartment building. We see Anderson carefully mentioning things like that in later stories.
Ad astra! Sean
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