Sf is written and read in the context of other fiction and of history. Real history is particularly relevant to fictional histories, including sf future histories. I will shortly collect from the Library Aleksandr Solzhenitsen's
Lenin In Zurich. A historical novelist can at any stage during his narrative draw upon a wealth of historical background details not accessible to a future historian although it is the latter's job to fake it. Thus, Poul Anderson adds an extra dimension of depth to his History of Technic Civilization with Hloch's introductions in
The Earth Book Of Stormgate. Jim Ching
ends his narration of "How To Be Ethnic In One Easy Lesson" at the moment when he is offered a Polesotechnic League apprenticeship but Hloch's introduction to this story adds a small amount of information about Jim's later life off Earth. (A small amount is infinitely more than none.) I have also been rereading a sympathetic non-fictional account of Lenin - not fiction but politically interpreted history. And from history, speculation and fiction comes understanding of reality.
10 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I'm halfway thru the first volume of Solzhenitsyn's massive MARCH 1917, and it's striking me as a tale of ineluctably approaching horror and tragedy which did not need to happen. I see fumbling making small mistakes in handling the initial disturbances in the Petrograd of March 1917 which steadily led to catastrophe.
The Prime Minister, Prince Golitsyn, was weak and ineffectual, at a loss what to do.
The Interior Minister, Protopopov, was boastful and delusional.
General Khabalov, Commander of the Military District of Petrograd, was incapable and overwhelmed.
Col. Aleksandr Balk, acting governor of Petrograd, was simply not up to the demands of the crisis, due to being ill, recovering from war wounds.
All of these allowed initially trivial disturbances to get steadily worse, instead of taking the quick decisive measures needed to put a stop to them. Till a tipping point passed and it became too late. By the time a really decisive and determined officer, Col. Kutepov, was given the task of restoring order, it was too late, he had too few reliable forces.
And so Russia ended up with monsters like Lenin and Stalin.
Ad astra! Sean
One thing that actually ANGERED me as I read Solzhenitsyn's MARCH 1917 was of how officials like the ones I listed above were not adequately informing the Tsar and the Empress of what was going on in Petrograd. They repeatedly reported with soothing blather about the disturbances being minor (which they were, at first, true) and would soon stop.
Ad astra! Sean
Always tell the truth especially when it's bad.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! I was esp. angered at those blunderers, Gen. Khabalov and Interior Minister Protopopov!
Ad astra! Sean
Nobody likes the bearer of bad news.
In an autocracy, being the bearer of bad news is often lethally dangerous, and at best a career-wrecker. Any other reason for being disliked by the guy at the top can be bad too.
If you look at pictures of the Soviet Politburo during Stalin's time, there's an interesting correlation between height and survival -- everyone -taller- than Stalin (who was short) eventually got the chop. Not that that was the only way, but it was consistent.
Hence there is an institutional tendency in autocracies for the top leadership to be systematically lied to. I
t's not a conspiracy, it's just the result of the incentive structure.
Note that in the "1001 Nights", Caliph Haroun al-Rashid is often depicted wandering the streets of Baghdad in disguise, to find out what's really going on.
This is because his ministers are feeding him pablum that makes them look good. Imagine how well-informed he was about events in Egypt or Central Asia.
If you read Lenin's letters, and accounts by people who knew him personally, it's transparently obvious that even in the pit of vipers that was the Bolshevik leadership, he stood out as an utterly rotten human being.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I'm five feet ten and a bit more in height. Meaning * I * would soon have gotten the chop if had been on the Central Committee or Politburo in Stalin's time. Bbbbbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
I do see your point about how, in autocracies like that of the USSR, underlings tend to lie to the Boss, to make themselves look good. But I don't think that was entirely the case with the dunderheads who so tragically botched the handling of those disturbances in Petrograd in March 1917. Over and over in Solzhenitsyn's MARCH 1917 I've seen mention of the authorities hesitating to take decisive action because they were afraid of bloodshed, of people getting killed.
There was no need to think that way! They could have used non-lethal means of breaking up riotous crowds before going on to using guns. Mention was made of suggestions to use the Petrograd fire department to hose down the disturbances. A cold water bath in winter would have sent everybody running home as fast as possible to dry out and warm up!!
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I forgot to add that everything I've read about Lenin shows what a horrible and ghastly person he was.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: nonlethal force is dependent on the other side being willing to accept the outcome.
If you use a water-hose and they shoot, where are you?
The Bolsheviks had a pellucid clarity on their side, and this was a substantial advantage. They cared absolutely nothing for human life and were indifferent to suffering.
Only the "New Man' of the distant future had any value. Everything else was worthless, "evil tailless apes" as Trotsky put it.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Actually, I agree. My point being that the disturbances on at least the first two days of what became the March Revolution (Hack, spits!) were minor. It's a PROGRESSION of tactics: use non lethal means first, then if you have to, open fire if the rebels shoot first.
One thing to remember about the Bolsheviks, in and of Russia, is how they were caught by surprise by the March disturbances, and lost days trying to figure out what they meant.
I agree about the utter cynicism, ruthlessness, and callousness of the Bolsheviks. They were soon to prove too bloodily well how little they cared about us "evil tailless apes"!
Ad astra! Sean
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