Fictional Introductions

In The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume III, Rise Of The Terran Empire, there are separate Acknowledgements for:

Introduction to "Wingless"

"Wingless"

Introduction to "Rescue on Avalon"

"Rescue on Avalon"

"The Star Plunderer" (including the Introduction)

Introduction to "Sargasso of Lost Starships"

"Sargasso of Lost Starships"

The People Of The Wind

 

In an introduction properly so called, the author, an editor or someone else invited by an editor directly addresses the reader about the fictional text. Thus, the introduction is not part of the fiction. That is not the case here. These introductions are fictional and are of two types.

First, The People Of The Wind has no introduction.

Secondly, the "Introduction," so called, to "The Star Plunderer" is simply the opening passage of the fictional text. The narrative, set in our future, is "introduced" by an archaeologist living in a further future. His introduction has always been the first part of the story from its first publication.

Thirdly, the Introductions to "Wingless" and "Rescue on Avalon" are also fictional but were added by Poul Anderson when the stories were collected in The Earth Book Of Stormgate. Hence, their separate Acknowledgements.

Fourthly, the Introduction to "Sargasso..." is fictional and was added by the Compiler, Hank Davis, in Rise Of The Terran Empire. Hence, its separate Acknowledgement. 

 

Complicated but worth delving into.