Sunday, 9 January 2022

Five Hundred Years

The People Of The Wind, III.

Following Robert Heinlein's example, American future history series often have both a published chronology and textual references to future dates. Cross-referring, we seek but do not always find consistency. Thus:

"'Avalon was discovered five hundred years ago, by the same Grand Survey ship that came on Ythri...'" (p. 475)

According to Sandra Miesel's CHRONOLOGY OF TECHNIC CIVILIZATION, which is reprinted at the end of every volume of The Technic Civilization Saga, "Wings of Victory," about the discovery of Ythri, is set in 2150 whereas The People Of The Wind is set in 29th C.

"'About three and a half centuries back, a human company made the Ythrians a proposal." (p. 476)

- for the joint colonization of Avalon under the suzerainty of Ythri. This date is more accurate. "Wingless," in which David Falkayn, the leader of that "human company," is still alive on Avalon is, according to Miesel, set in 26th C.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

We have both of us extensively discussed Sandra Miesel's Chronology of Technic Civilization, with me writing a long article about it, proposing a massive revision. And then your comments about the Flandry stories made me decide I had to revise my article.

I dated "The Star Plunderer," in which we see Manuel Argos planning to found the Terran Empire, to about AD 2690, and THE PEOPLE OF THE WIND to about 2900, which feels about as "accurate" as we are likely to get.

Ad astra! Sean