Friday 23 October 2020

Ruori And Metal

"The Sky People."

The cover illustration is accurate in almost every detail except that Ruori should be wearing a shimmering shirt. (p. 20) Earlier he had referred to his people wearing sarongs, sandals and clan tattoos. (p. 15)

He says:

"'For centuries men have been forced to tear up the antique artifacts, if they were to have any metal at all." (p. 22)

Maybe this statement goes some way toward answering an earlier objection? See the combox here.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Only slightly, in those parts of the pre-Judgment world where cars, trucks, steel link fences, and other metal products were relatively rare. Ruori doesn't address what HAPPENED to all those millions of cars, washing machines, refrigerators, stainless steel tableware, and other abandoned metal objects in the more populous and advanced parts of the pre-Judgment world.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

In the more populous parts of the world, there was no recovery and, by the time the Maurai spread there, they had already developed their alternative technologies.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I can't agree. Alternative tech or not, I can't see the Maurai or any other successor states ignoring all those multiple megatons of useful metals. That would be crazy and irrational.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

I can't see it either. I am just trying to find some hint that Anderson did address the issue in the original texts.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Certainly! I've done that kind of fan boy analyzing myself. The simplest explanation, of course, is that while Anderson was writing "The Sky People" and "Progress" he OVERLOOKED the points Stirling was later to make. By the time he wrote "Windmill" Anderson was stuck with the flawed premise.

Ad astra! Sean