Thursday 3 February 2022

The Earth Book And The Terran Empire

The Terran Empire occupies more of Poul Anderson's Technic History than we might think. The Flandry series is eight volumes but the Flandry period is nine volumes and the Imperial period is ten volumes because it includes the pre-Flandry novel, The People Of The Wind, or should we say eleven volumes, to include The Earth Book Of Stormgate? The Earth Book begins and ends with Hloch addressing his readers shortly after the events of The People Of The Wind, thus in the Imperial period although Hloch is not in the Empire. Granted that the Earth Book is a collection of twelve pre-Imperial installments of the Technic History. Nevertheless, we are to understand that this collection is published in the Imperial period as a reminiscence of earlier events. Its publication is itself an event in the History at this date. Thus, this single volume combines the three main elements of the Technic History:

the Polesotechnic League
human-Ythrian interactions
the Terran Empire
 
The only non-Imperial volumes are the Polesotechnic League Tetralogy and the concluding post-Imperial volume. And, of course, there are three short stories that could be rounded up into a volume to be read between the Tetralogy and The People Of The Wind. The third of these stories, "Sargasso of Lost Starships," is Imperial and the second, "The Star Plunderer," is a prequel.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Yes, strictly speaking, many readers might overlook that "The Star Plunderer," despite focusing on Manuel Argos, was pre-Imperial.

And "Collar of Iron" is the alternate, and better title for that story. Referring to the iron slave collar we see Argos wearing at the beginning of the story. I would not be surprised if that iron collar was preserved as a cherished relic by later Emperors!

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Or even worn on ceremonial occasions as a reminder of the Empire's origins.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I agree! Wear that iron collar on state occasions.

Ad astra! Sean