Perspectives

As we read through Poul Anderson's The Earth Book Of Stormgate, Nicholas van Rijn emerges as a continuing character. The fourth story, "Margin of Profit," begins as a Captain Torres waits to be admitted to his interview with a merchant prince named Nicholas van Rijn. Later, when van Rijn and Torres go into space together, the journey is recounted from van Rijn's pov. The following story, "Esau," begins as Emil Dalmady flies, then strides, to keep his appointment with a merchant prince who, on the second page of the text, turns out to be the same van Rijn. A few pages later, we read an account of Dalmady's recent experiences on another planet.

Any solid future history series presents not only successive periods but also alternative perspectives on any single period, which is what Anderson does here. Six installments of the Technic History feature van Rijn without any reference to his trader team led by David Falkayn. Of these six installments:

three begin with van Rijn off Earth, in space or on another planet;

three begin with someone else visiting van Rijn on Earth.

Three are in Trader To The Stars; three are in the Earth Book; all are in The Technic Cibilization Saga, Volumes I-II.