Since the Polesotechnic League and the Terran Empire began as unrelated series, we appreciate their integration as earlier and later periods of the single Technic History. In
The Earth Book Of Stormgate, Hloch recapitulates the history of the League from the perspective of the Imperial period. Dominic Flandry of the Empire would prefer to have lived in the time of the League. Van Rijn of the League is a legendary figure on some planets in Flandry's time when one planet is called Vanrijn. Chunderban Desai of the Empire judges that Technic civilization went wrong when the League became cartelized. And finally the whole of Technic history is summarized in the time of the later Commonalty:
"'Sir, the League, the troubles, the Empire, its fall, the Long Night...every such thing - behind us. In space and time alike. The people of the Commonalty don't get into wars.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Starfog" IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, 2012), pp. 709-794 AT p. 722.
Amen to interstellar peace and what an astounding historical panorama.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And, in my admittedly world weary pessimism (or cynicism), I've found Daven Laure's comment about the peoples of the Commonalty not getting into wars thoroughly unconvincing! Such a comment could only have been made during the earlier, hopeful phases of the Commonalty's history. As time passed I would fully expect problems and crises to emerge that would cause conflicts and wars. Because that is exactly what we have seen thru out all known human history.
One obvious, and likely, cause of conflict would be if the Commonalty bumped up against a human or non-human civilization RESISTANT to it. And/or problems could well emerge within the Commonalty itself. And so on.
Ad astra! Sean
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