Human Beings On Avalon

In the original reading order of Poul Anderson's Technic History, the Polesotechnic League Tetralogy is followed by these six volumes in this order:

The People of the Wind

The Earth Book Of Stormgate

Ensign Flandry

A Circus of Hells

The Rebel Worlds

The Day Of Their Return

 

The People Of The Wind and The Earth Book Of Stormgate are two companion volumes about Ythrians and the planet Avalon although the omnibus Earth Book collection also gathers together no less than eight remaining Polesotechnic League installments;

 

Ensign Flandry, A Circus Of Hells and The Rebel Worlds comprise the Young Flandry Trilogy, opening the eight-volume Dominic Flandry series;

 

The Day Of Their Return is a direct sequel to The Rebel Worlds and also the third and final volume with an Ythrian character - in this case, just one such character - plus information about Avalon.

 

The Day Of Their Return is not quite the third volume of an Ythrian/Avalonian trilogy but it does its best. The Earth Book and The Day Of Their Return present two stages of human sociopolitical development on Avalon:

"You well know how most humans on Avalon still maintain a modified form of government. However, this is of sharply limited force, both in practice and in law. It is merely their way."

-Poul Anderson, INTRODUCTION THE PROBLEM OF PAIN IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 103-105 AT p. 104.

For the later stage, see:

 

What Has Happened On Avalon?

Change On Avalon?