"This is the story of Rhysling, the Blind Singer of the Spaceways..."
-Robert Heinlein, "The Green Hills of Earth" IN Heinlein, The Green Hills Of Earth (London, 1967), pp. 131-141 AT p. 131.
The Green Hills Of Earth is Volume II of Heinlein's Future History. Rhysling's song, "The Green Hills of Earth," is played at a crucial point in Volume IV, Methuselah's Children. Volume V, Orphans Of The Sky, mentions Rhysling as a poet. Although I do not accept Time Enough For Love as a valid Volume VI, one of its least offensive passages comes when Lazarus Long reminisces about Rhysling.
"There are references to Rhysling and his songs in a definitely non-Future History novel, Farmer in the Sky..."
-Alexei Panshin, Heinlein In Dimension (Chicago, 1968), V, p. 123.
Having read Farmer in the Sky, I can confirm this although, not having a copy to hand, I cannot quote from it. (I also think that Farmer... belongs to what I call Heinlein's Juvenile Future History.)
Poul Anderson's "Loser's Night" lists "blind Rhysling" as among those who have visited the inter-universal inn, the Old Phoenix. Works of fiction by both Heinlein and Anderson accept the multiverse idea. It follows that it would be possible to travel between the Future History and the Technic History either via the Old Phoenix or directly as in Anderson's Three Hearts And Three Lions and Operation Luna.
Perhaps Rhysling is a predecessor of some other sf characters like Anderson's Verdea or his Hugh Valland. (The latter combines aspects of Rhysling and Lazarus Long.)
4 comments:
Sigh. Would like to hang out there… though meeting some of my own fictional characters might be disconcerting!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: Ha! I don't think either of us would care to meet Adrienne Breze or Gwen Ingolfsson, even at the Old Phoenix. Altho I'm sure Mine Host Taverner could control them! But we might both find Eric von Shrakenberg a reasonably tolerable fellow guest.
Paul: I've been rereading some of the stories in SEVEN CONQUESTS, and I've found some Time Patrol and Heinleinian echoes in "Strange Bedfellows." Quoting from pages 180 and 181 of the Macmillan edition of 1969, Bruno Norris speaking: "Which shows how little you know about politics, son. It's the only game in town." Next: "See the green hills of Earth..."
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Good echoes.
Both,
Slightly different context but could happen in the Old Phoenix: meeting one's own less informed, naiver younger self would be a dreadful experience.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Would that be DREADFUL? Wouldn't it be more like meeting a much younger relation? We see Jack Havig meeting and MENTORING his younger self in THERE WILL BE TIME. How would I react to some how going back fifty years in time and meeting my younger self? I don't know! Or in the Old Phoenix, for that matter?
Ad astra! Sean
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