Prince Rupert tells Ariel:
"'...'tis for the Old Way thou hast drawn thy sword: the wholeness of the living world.'" (p. 200)
This issue goes far beyond the bounds of a single fantasy novel. It must be possible for humanity to benefit from the application of scientific knowledge without at the same destroying the wholeness of the living world, to synthesize new technology with old wholeness. See also Skuld.
Meanwhile, when their boat flies magically, Will closes his eyes and hides whereas Jennifer leans out and waves for as long as possible. I am all the way with Will.
We approach the climax of A Midsummer Tempest but at a leisurely pace, noticing as many details as possible along the way.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Apparently, like Will, you have some fear of heights! I think I can say heights, as such, does not trouble me like that. And I like the idea I have read about elsewhere of replacing ordinary planes with suborbital rocket planes. Meaning that journeys formerly needing 15 hours and at least one change of planes to complete would need only about two hours or so (and maybe only one hour for a flight from Boston, MA to London).
So my attitude is that of Prince Rupert, utilizing scientific and technological advances in ways respecting "...the wholeness of the living world." And, yes, that includes NUCLEAR power.
Ad astra! Sean
Humans have never lived in "harmony" with their environment; Paleolithic hunters wiped out the megafauna at the end of the last glacial period, and farmers with digging sticks and goats can wreck continents -- it just takes longer than it does with industrial technology.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, but I hope we can learn to at least manage the Earth more intelligently.
Ad astra! Sean
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