Merseians
Neldorians
Exaltationists
Merseians began as space opera villains, then developed into a credible alien species. Neldorians appear only once and remain time bandits. Anderson created the Exaltationists as a more sophisticated gang of time travel criminals, then deduced what such characters would do and become if they ever achieved their objectives.
Everard speculates:
"'Not that I think they could long have stayed in charge. Selfishness like that generally turns on itself. Battles through time, a chaos of changes - I wonder how much flux the space-time fabric could survive.'"
-Poul Anderson, "The Year of the Ransom" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 641-735 AT 23 May 1987, p. 718.
Raor confirms:
"'We would have made [the universe] what we chose, and unmade and remade it, and stormed the stars as we warred for possession, with an entire reality the funeral pyre of each who fell and entire histories the funeral games, until the last god reigned alone.'"
-Poul Anderson, The Shield Of Time (New York, 1991), PART TWO, 209 B. C., p. 118.
Does any other group strive to conquer so that they can then strive against each other?
3 comments:
In fact, "conquering so they could strive against each other" is how it -usually- works; the wars of Alexander's marshals after his death, or the Roman warlords of the late Republic, come to mind. For that matter, one of the proximate causes of the American Civil War was a falling-out over the spoils taken from Mexico.
The Exaltationists are just being more explicit about it.
Just as the Party in 1984 claims to be explicit about the purpose of power.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
And Stirling's Draka also comes to mind! When not trying to expand the Domination, the Draka were as dangerous to each other, because of intrigues, faction fights, and plain old duels, as their outside enemies.
Ad astra! Sean
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