When the kzinti had invaded the human-colonized Alpha Centaurian System:
"Out of the years that followed have come countless stories of heroism, cowardice, resistance, collaboration, sabotage, salvage, ingenuity, intrigue, atrocity, mercy. Some are true." (2, p. 34)
We note perhaps three points here. First, that comprehensive list encompassing the entire gamut from heroism to cowardice and from resistance to collaboration summarizes our whole species for us. We recognize humanity throughout. But did some of the "mercy" come from kzinti?
Secondly, are the stories of resistance exaggerated? No because, in the very next sentence:
"Certainly, when the human hyperdrive armada entered the Centaurian System, Tiamat might well have been destroyed, had not the Belter freedom fighters taken it over from within." (ibid.)
Thirdly, most interesting is the comment: "Some are true." But others are not? Of course, from our point of view, all of these stories are fictions. However, the narrator of this story seems to imply that some of the Man-Kzin Wars stories to be written by other authors might be fictions within the fiction. It is always possible to imply this. Some new Sherlock Holmes stories start by telling us not to trust Watson's accounts. The new authors respect their source but are not limited by it.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree with your comments here. In situations like this, real or fictional, we have to expect reports and stories to run the gamut from sober, factual truth to complete lies.
Ad astra! Sean
Human social interaction is a set of stories. All human communities are "imagined"; they're a story.
Some of the stories are "true" in the sense that the events described actually happened but they don't have to be true to be important.
Eg., the description in the "Song of Roland" is only marginally related to real events, but it was immensely important in forming the ethos of medieval Europe.
If enough people believe strongly in a story, it becomes a social fact -- as real as a rock, and potentially as deadly as a rock to the head.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, the existence of BELIEF in an idea, legend, or story is itself a fact, even if the idea, legend, etc., is not factually true in themselves.
Ad astra! Sean
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