Friday 14 August 2020

Cynthia Denison And Spaceships

Poul Anderson's first Time Patrol story, "Time Patrol," is set in 1954 and refers to:

"...a collection of Victorian and Edwardian stories." (3, p. 18)

The second story, "Brave To Be A King," is set in the mid-twentieth century and refers to:

"...the lost narratives of Dr. Watson." (1, p. 55)

Same difference, says you. Or does Everard, as a Time Patrolman, have access to "lost narratives" that Watson never published?

When Cynthia Denison visits:

"...it was as if he were aboard some early spaceship that had just entered free fall; he stood weightless and helpless in a blaze of stars." (ibid.)

A reference to spaceships is an sf staple:

Everard knows that he is in a timeline where regular space travel will begin soon;

at the time when this story was published, many people, including the author and his readers, assumed that they also inhabited such a timeline;

since then we have had reason to doubt - space travel has not happened on the expected schedule and meanwhile what is happening on Earth?

(Sorry to ask awkward questions but we have to keep relating fiction to reality. And sf is about reality. Considering our place in the cosmos is realist, not escapist.)

In "Time Patrol," Mr. Gordon recruits Everard to the Patrol. In "Brave To Be A King," Mr. Gordon has shown Cynthia the analysis of a critical milieu. We are just settling into reading a series and are beginning to regard Mr. Gordon as part of the background. However, he is never referred to again. Everard as an Unattached agent does not need to refer to the local office, where Cynthia is a clerk.

6 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

But if Elon Musk succeeds in founding his Mars colony then we can finally hope to see regular space travel. Something which should have been done decades ago!

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

I agree. I am just waiting to see it happen.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Basically, Elon Musk plans to do this in two step process; by first sending unmanned ships loaded with supplies and equipment in 2024. Followed by at least one manned ship to Mars a year or so later.

In books like THE CASE FOR MARS and THE CASE FOR SPACE, Robert Zubrin has discussed in detail how people could live and work on Mars. The latter book has much to say about Musk and his hopes.

Unfortunately, Zubrin had to drag in the Giordano Bruno case, accusing the Inquisition of sentencing Bruno to death for saying other worlds. But, when I looked up the detailed article about Bruno in the 1913 CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA, its author denied that was the case. Aside from that, I recommend these Zubrin books.

I'm conflicted between hope and pessimism. I HOPE Musk succeeds in founding his Mars colony. But my pessimism fears something will happen to prevent that.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Now I understand that there is at least a schedule.

Paul.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

But what did the Inquisition do with Bruno? The mere existence of any kind of "Inquisition" is one big scandal, surely?

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Oops! I omitted "exist" after "...for saying other worlds..."

I agree the Inquisition was a bad idea. The Church should have defended herself from the attacks of heretics using only non violent methods. And I was irritated by Zubrin's pointless dragging in of the Bruno incident (esp. in THE CASE FOR MARS).

Ad astra! Sean