Eva Spain is speaking:
"She broke off. Dan had stiffened where he stood. 'What is it?' she whispered.
"'That could be the clue we need.' The night wind boomed under his words." (pp. 59-60)
We recognize two by now familiar Andersonianisms:
Dan stiffens in a moment of realization;
the wind underlines his words and punctuates the dialogue.
By now, we should be able to anticipate the stages, although not the content, of a conversation.
By this stage in the series, Dan Coffin has spent several years exploring the Rustumite lowlands, returning to High America to share information, plan further expeditions and visit relatives and friends. The series proceeds systematically through the stages of the colonization of the planet Rustum just as Poul Anderson's The Earth Book Of Stormgate does with the exploration and colonization of Avalon.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I thought of that too, Dan Coffin had an Andersonian moment of realization: faced with a problem, he thought of a possible solution.
Has Anderson ever written a story where the POV character had a similar moment of realization, but the solution to a problem failed or was not implemented? Not directly, I think, but some of his grimmer, more dystopian stories might fit that description. Perhaps "The Martyr" or "Murphy's Hall."
Ad astra! Sean
I sort of turn my head sharply when I get that sensation.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
When I get a sensation like that, I more often say to myself: "Why didn't I think of that?" (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean
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