OK. Aileen and I just went to the cinema. The trailers included one for
Foundation even though that is a TV series. It was mentioned that the Empire was falling. Then we saw
Dune, Part 1, which features another interstellar Empire. Finally, I inevitably think of Poul Anderson's Technic History and its Terran Empire so the idea of an interstellar empire with FTL travel gets around a lot.
Anderson's Terran Empire not only falls. Before that, it is potentially threatened by a jihad from a desert planet, Aeneas, so there are more parallels with Dune. My inevitable question is: since Foundation has now been on TV once and Dune has been on TV once and in cinemas twice, why hasn't the Technic History been on screen yet? But we have been here before.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
A good question, which touches on a frustrating issue! Because I believe Anderson's Terran Empire is more CONVINCING, feels more REAL to me (and you) than does either Asimov's Galactic Empire or Herbert's post-Butlerian Jihad Empire. Albeit, to be fair, I thought Herbert's Empire better than that of Asimov's. Why hasn't anybody in TV or the movies read the Technic stories and thought: "Hey, these would be great TV (or movie) shows!"
One problem I have with DUNE, and those of its sequels I've read, is that none of the major characters are truly LIKABLE simply as persons. And I include the "good guys" of those books. And that was not an issue with Anderson's Technic stories: I liked Old Nick, Falkayn, Adzel, Dominic Flandry, Targovi the Tigery, Kossara Vymezal, Roan Tom, etc.
Ad astra! Sean
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