Non-Linear Narratives

Of necessity, we read the stories in a series one at a time but the stories' characters do not necessarily experience their lives in that same linear sequence. Both in Robert Heinlein's Future History and in Poul Anderson's Technic History, some stories overlap chronologically.

In the Technic History, Adzel experiences the events of "How To Be Ethnic In One Easy Lesson" and Nicholas van Rijn experiences the events of "Margin of Profit" both in the same year, at least according to Sandra Miesel's Chronology of Technic Civilization. It does not matter which of these two stories we read first. In the Earth Book, Adzel comes first. In the Saga, it is van Rijn.

In one decade:

"A Sun Invisible" about David Falkayn;

"The Season of Forgiveness" about Juan Hernandez;

The Man Who Counts, "Esau" and "Hiding Place" about van Rijn -

- are said to overlap although obviously the three van Rijn stories occur at different times.

In the following decade:

"Territory" and "The Master Key" about van Rijn;

"The Trouble Twisters" and "Day of Burning" about van Rijn's trader team of Falkayn, Adzel and Chee Lan;

Satan's World about van Rijn and the trader team;

"A Little Knowledge" about other characters -

- are said to overlap.

How can fiction make its audience aware of such overlaps? Screen dramatizations could be presented simultaneously on different channels with the facility to view one while recording others. Thus, it would be a matter of choice which to view first and anyone watching a recording would be conscious of catching up with earlier events.