Heinlein's Future History also presents an unfamiliar answer to the question: what happened in 1984? There was a Great Disaster on the Moon. Anderson's Psychotechnic History informs us that the Psychotechnic Institute was founded in 1975 and that Mars and Venus were colonized in the late 1900s but skips past 1984.
The opening story of the Future History is set in 1951 whereas the opening story of the Psychotechnic History is set in 1964 but every other Anderson future history remains in our future.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Anderson tended to be sparing in using DATES, which we don't see see so very often in his works. Except in some of the Time Patrol stories and the dates given for the different chapters of THE BOAT OF A MILLION YEARS. Because dates might have constrained him too tightly.
Stirling avoids that problem by setting most of his stories in alternate timelines.
Ad astra! Sean
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