This triumphant closing statement reminds us of several passages in Poul Anderson's works:
"'The universe is too big to understand; vastly too big to control even by the most subtle and powerful means, even this little corner of it we call Known Space. There is an age of exploration coming - as it was in the Renaissance, or the twenty-first century. Nothing can stop it. Nothing can stop what we - all the sentient species - will do, and venture, and become." (p. 200)
The ARM has been cast in the role of the anti-freedom, anti-stellar bureaucrats of Anderson's Planet Of No Return, The Avatar and Harvest Of Stars.
The corner of the universe called Known Space recalls the fragment of a spiral arm.
The new age of exploration sounds like:
"The world's great age begins anew..." (See here; scroll down.)
The FTL period of the Known Space History is just beginning.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Hmmm, a RENAISSANCE in OUR 21st century? I admit to finding that hard to believe, given the dismal times we've been having since 1914. Needless to say, I would rather have my pessimism proven wrong! And one way for that to happen would be by mankind finally getting OFF this rock--perhaps by Elon Musk founding his hoped for Mars colony.
Ad astra! Sean
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