Van Rijn on the bridge of Dewfall speaks by telecom to Commodore Nadi in a Supermetals warship. Nadi is a Wodenite. Behind him are an Ikranankan and a human being. Behind van Rijn, Hirharouk, an Ythrian, perches and fans his wings. Consecutive readers of Poul Anderson's Technic History are already familiar with Wodenites, Ikranankans and Ythrians.
Can our species look forward to such a future? So far, there is no evidence of any other technological civilizations. The only thing that is certain about our collective future is that it will be unlike anything that has been imagined.
Also, life will be very different for any human beings that do regularly do business with members of other intelligent species although, for them, it will become routine.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Humans being what they are, if any non human ships were to arrive and land on Earth today, some humans would react with horror and shock. But I hope I would not be one of them.
I find it distasteful, even "wasteful" to think that a galaxy like ours, with an estimated 200 billion stars, would have only one intelligent race, ours. As for that lack of evidence you mentioned, Anderson did suggest in IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER WORLDS? that might be explained by mankind achieving a high tech civilization sooner than others in our part of the galaxy.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
But nature is wasteful. Most solar energy goes out into space. Most seeds do not grow.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
True. Very well, I find the AESTHETICS of thinking mankind might be the only intelligent race in the galaxy displeasing.
Ad astra! Sean
Horror and shock, and then they'd start trying to milk it for advantage.
Sean,
Aesthetics is not a criterion for the truth or falsity of a proposition.
Paul.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: Of course, because that is exactly how humans will behave!
Paul: True.
Ad astra! Sean
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