A future historian describes a future society, then tells us what happens when something goes wrong.
The Covenant fails to protect the Howard Families from persecution when they disclose their longevity.
Asimov
One of Seldon's psychohistorical predictions goes wrong.
Robots question the Laws of Robotics in various ways.
Blish
The germanium-based Oc dollar collapses, destroying the interstellar economy of the Okie cities.
Anderson
The Maurai ban on nuclear power is eventually broken.
The Psychotechnic Institute falsifies data and is overthrown.
The Polesotechnic League becomes cartelized.
A group of time criminals succeeds in changing history.
Niven
The Solar System is at peace but the kzinti arrive.
Questions in the Commonalty period of Anderson's Technic History:
Surviving religions?
Human-nonhuman interactions?
AIs becoming independent?
The effects of the vast wealth generated in the Cloud Universe?
Further discoveries beyond the edge of the known?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
You omitted the crisis which came to afflict the Terran Empire, a crisis of legitimacy after Josip's reign.
Since we have only one Commonalty era story, it's not a surprise we get questions line the ones you listed, and not enough data for answers. More likely than not, there are religions in the regions covered by the Commonalty, probably including even Christianity. And the mere fact non humans are MENTIONED makes it plain (to me) humans interact with them. The implication I got, from Muddlehead (in the Falkayn stories), A CIRCUS OF HELLS, and "Starfog" is that conscious level computers or AIs were not like the ones we see in the HARVEST OF STARS books, opposing the wishes of mankind.
I can offer more speculations, but that is all they can be, we don't have enough data!
Ad astra! Sean
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