THE TROUBLE TWISTERS: Its Place In The Technic History

 

The cover of my copy of The Trouble Twisters (New York, 1977) (see image) proclaims that this is "The second book in the future history of the Polesotechnic League." Let us imagine that, before The Trouble Twisters, we have read only the three Nicholas van Rijn stories collected as Trader To The Stars, beginning with "Hiding Place." (There are in fact ten Technic History installments set earlier than "Hiding Place" but, for many of us, our starting point with this series was Trader To The Stars.)

The Trouble Twisters contains a total of six items.

(i) A NOTE OF LEITMOTIF, pp. 7-8. 

This note serves as a general introduction to any volume set in the Technic History because it outlines both the relevant technological advances and the perennial human limitations. It is signed:

"-Vance Hall, Commentaries on the Philosophy of Noah Arkwright" (p. 8)

Who Noah Arkwright might be is not explained.

(ii) Part I THE THREE-CORNERED WHEEL, pp. 9-54.

This is the first of the three David Falkayn stories collected in this volume. They are presented not as separate items but as "Parts" of a single work recounting Falkayn's early career. In Part I, teen-aged Falkayn is apprenticed to Martin Schuster and there is no mention of Nicholas van Rijn.

(iii) NOTES TOWARD A DEFINITION OF RELATEDNESS, pp. 55-56.

These notes come more as an interlude between stories than as an introduction to the following story. However, the notes discuss the extent to which some extra-solar environments are humanly habitable and some intelligent species are mutually comprehensible and these observations are relevant to Falkayn's adventures in (iv). The notes are signed:

"-Noah Arkwright, An Intorduction to Sophontology" (p. 56)

(iv) Part II A SUN INVISIBLE, pp. 57-93.

In this second David Falkayn story, Falkayn is a Polesotechnic League factor, working for van Rijn's Solar Spice & Liquors Company. His role on Ivanhoe in (ii) has hastened his certification as a journeyman. Now he wants early Master Merchant certification and to be noticed by "...old Nick van Rijn." (p. 60)

(v) PLUS CA CHANGE, PLUS C'EST LA MEME CHOSE, pp. 95-97.

This account of an encounter with Noah Arkwright is:

"-Recorded in the diary of Urwain the Wide-Faring" (p. 97)

There is no discernible connection between Noah Arkwright and David Falkayn. I no longer think that (i), (iii) and (v), which were added in The Trouble Twisters, serve as introductions to (ii), (iv) and (vi), respectively. They are simply additional texts, adding more background to the Technic History.

(vi) Part III THE TROUBLE TWISTERS, pp. 99-190.

Falkayn is working in a team with Adzel and Chee Lan. Has he gone independent? No. A flash-back on pp. 110-112 recounts the interview in which van Rijn, still employing Falkayn, appointed him to lead the first ever trade pioneer crew. At last, van Rijn makes a brief but decisive appearance in this second Polesotechnic League volume.

After The Trouble Twisters, there are three novels, three short stories, The Earth Book Of Stormgate and the nine-volume Flandry period followed by its single-volume sequel.