Saturday, 18 December 2021

Multiple Sequel And Prequel II

I said previously that the David Falkayn series became the trader team series which then merged with the Nicholas van Rijn series so I should have described Mirkheim as a sequel to the van Rijn-trader team series. It certainly gives van Rijn an appropriate send-off as he struggles to hold the Polesotechnic League together, then, hopefully, leads an expedition outside known space.

Mirkheim is a prequel to "Hunters of the Sky Cave" not only because it explains the Vixenite weather stations but also because it features an ancestor of Kit Kitteridge. 

Lester del Rey wrote that Mikheim was too devoted to tying up loose ends whereas I applaud its success in tying them up.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I think of Nicholas van Rijn as leading his last long journey of exploration and discovery sometime between five and ten years after MIRKHEIM, after he had patched up the League as best he could. Given his vast wealth, he could easily afford to thoroughly equip three or four ships for such an expedition!

Like you, I disagree with Lester Del Rey's complaint about MIRKHEIM. And there are still plenty of loose ends in the Technic stories if you look for them. One being how we see the Trillians of "A Little Knowledge" only once in the entire series. Another being what happened to Leon Ammon afer A CIRCUS OF HELLS?

Ad astra! Sean