Links And A Foundation

We have known of the planet Hermes since "Wings of Victory" and that David Falkayn was an aristocrat of that planet since "The Three-Cornered Wheel" but the first time that we see Hermes is in Mirkheim. The second and last time is in A Stone In Heaven.

 In Mirkheim:

Sandra and Eric Tamarin are a strong link back to The Man Who Counts;

the Baburites are a strong link back to "Esau";

not only Mirkheim but also Commodre Nadi of the Supermetals Company is a strong link back to "Lodestar";

Sandra's reference to David Falkayn as the hero of the Shenna affair is a strong link back to Satan's World;

Nadi's explanation that Falkayn also discovered Mirkheim and founded Supermetals is another strong link to "Lodestar";

references to Ikrananka, Ivanhoe and Vanessa are links to "The Trouble Twisters," "The Three-Cornered Wheel" and "A Sun Invisible," respectively.

Nadi summarizes for Sandra's benefit the events of "Lodestar," how van Rijn found his way to Mirkheim but David and Coya persuaded him to keep quiet. Nadi adds that van Rijn pro-actively helped to keep the secret by advising Supermetals agents on how to keep confusing the issue.

However, Mirkheim is much more than just an exhaustive list of references to earlier works. On the firm foundation provided by previous installments, Anderson builds what I have previously described as a good novel, a good science fiction novel and a good political novel.