Friday, 3 December 2021

Yet Another Future Historically Recycled Fictional Planet

The Nicholas van Rijn novel, The Man Who Counts, is set entirely on the surface of the freak planet, Diomedes. Hloch includes this novel in The Earth Book Of Stormgate partly because Ythrians should be interested in another race of intelligent flyers.

In Satan's World, van Rijn authorizes a company representative to hire outplanet mercenaries and suggests that he contact Grand Admiral Delp hyr Orikan in Drak'ho Fleet on Diomedes. This is an effective future historical reference back to an earlier installment of the series.

In A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows, Dominic Flandry has adventures on Diomedes. At this stage, aggrieved Diomedeans hope in vain for solidarity from Ythrians, their fellow flyers.

Thus, with its significance for van Rijn, Flandry and Ythri, Diomedes is fully integrated into the Technic History.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I think you should also have mentioned that Hloch stressed to his readers that, surprising as it might seem to them, Nicholas van Rijn was far better known off Avalon than David Falkayn.

And only SOME Diomedeans were aggrieved at the time Flandry visited that planet. Most Diomedeans descending from the Drak'ho Fleet or similar nations were happy to be part of the Empire.

And the Domain of Ythri had zero interest in making trouble for the Empire by stirring up unrest on Diomedes! Because Merseia was as much a threat to Ythri as it was for Terra. That made the Domain a natural ally of the Empire in the struggle with the Roidhunate.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Oddly, the "unnatural" lifestyle of the Drak'ho "Fleet" makes it easier for them to adapt to technologically advanced civilization.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Exactly! Such as that Diomedean port master Flandry met as he landed at Thursday Landing on Diomedes. That person had no trouble working near or on spaceships. And Flandry noticed how the port master was carrying a crucifix, which made me think he was a Christian as well.

Ad astra! Sean