We have to learn the rules of interstellar travel and communication in each new sf series:
in Poul Anderson's Technic History, hyperpulses can be modulated to carry information only across one light year;
in Anderson's For Love Of Glory, there is an instantaneous interstellar hyperbeam;
in Anderson's "Iron," set during the Man-Kzin Wars period of Larry Niven's Known Space future history, why do spaceships with hyperdrives communicate by radio even though there is interstellar communication by hyperwave?
"'If only we could stay in touch!'
"Ryan shrugged. 'Someday they'll miniaturize hyperwave equipment to the point where it'll fit in a spaceship.'
"'Why haven't they already?' she protested. 'Or why didn't it come with the hyperdrive?'
"'We can't expect to understand or assimilate a non-human technology overnight,' Yoshii told her in his soft fashion. 'As was, it took skull sweat to adapt what the Outsiders sold your world to our uses...'" (p. 211)
Kzinti acquire hyperdrive from human beings who bought it from Outsiders who do not travel through hyperspace but could have acquired the drive to trade with anywhere in the galaxy.
In Anderson's Aftter Doomsday, the superlight drive spreads between civilizations like dandelion seeds.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I think the situation as regards FTL travel in the Technic stories more plausible and carefully thought out than what we see in Niven's Known Space timelines. Of course I realize Anderson had to work with what was already "established fact" in the latter series.
Ad astra! Sean
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