Look how much future history we have covered already in considering just the first installment of Poul Anderson's Technic History. It is the single story that connects this fictional timeline back to the twentieth century. And there is a personal connection. Scobie in the
Chronos has a disintegrating but signed copy of
The Machinery Of Freedom. Its author is still alive. The book was published in 1973 with further editions in 1989 and 2014. Since "The Saturn Game" was published in 1981, we infer that Anderson had the first edition in mind. Scobie must have met David D. Friedman to get his signature. This is the closest that we can come to matching up the two timelines which, if they have not diverged already, soon will.
Scobie's apartment in the Chronos also contains:
furniture that he has made on board
Childe's border ballads
an 18th century family Bible
a model of a sailboat in which he had cruised
a handball trophy won on board
fencing sabers
pictures of family, places he had been on Earth, his selenological team, Thomas Jefferson and Robert the Bruce
a television
We get a solid picture of this one guy who is involved in events on Iapetus.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I looked up Dr. Friedman, and he certainly seems interesting. But I'm going to remain skeptical of things like "anarcho-capitalism." Mostly because any kind of anarchy founders on the question of how to keep ORDER in any human society. To say nothing of the need for defense against aggressive outsiders.
I'm a conservative, not a libertarian, which means I believe in the necessity of the state. I do agree with libertarians that gov'ts have become too autocratic and centralized since 1914.
Altho he sympathized with libertarians, Anderson never went so far as to advocate anarcho-libertarianism. He agreed was a necessity, for the reasons I cited.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Although I am certainly not drawn toward "anarcho-capitalism," maybe we need to read THE MACHINERY OF FREEDOM to learn how Friedman responds to these obvious questions.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Of course. There are so many books I should read, but can't, due to sheer quantity and lack of the centuries needed for that.
And I don't think any libertarians/anarchists have made any truly satisfactory responses to the objections conservatives raise.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul and Sean!
I beg to differ about Scobie having to have met Dr. David D. Friedman; I checked my copy of THE VAN RIJN METHOD, and there’s nothing about the copy of THE MACHINERY OF FREEDOM being inscribed to Scobie, who could have inherited or bought a signed copy. Still, it would be nice to think of Friedman living long enough to sign a copy of one of his books for someone who proceeded to go on a manned expedition to the moons of Saturn.
I also recommend reading THE MACHINERY OF FREEDOM, which has some interesting ideas, whether you end up agreeing or not.
I have participated in online discussions with Dr. Friedman.
Best Regards,
Nicholas
Kaor, Nicholas!
True, Scobie's inscribed copy of THE MACHINERY OF FREEDOM could have been simply inherited or purchased by him.
One book I have with very interesting ideas in it is Jerry Pournelle's A STEP FURTHER OUT. My paperback was obtained by me in 1980, and the book is now somewhat battered! It has many ideas which I believe deserved to be at least tried out but has not been.
Ad astra! Sean
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