I would like to see the Rustum History collected in a single volume although maybe "Rustum History" becomes an inappropriate title if we find that it is possible to incorporate a few more of Poul Anderson's stories into that same future historical timeline? There should be no explanatory note between the eighth and last Rustum story and "The Queen of Air and Darkness." Instead, readers should first realize that "The Queen..." is set on another planet, then find its textual reference to Rustum. We would like to read a story set on Beowulf, another colonized planet mentioned in "The Queen..." So far, three extra-solar planets have been named after not gods but heroes of different Terrestrial traditions.
Maybe four other stories can be included, making a total of thirteen, but I am not going to post any more about that tonight! After Blackpool and London, tomorrow I will exclusively be in Lancaster.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I now regret that "The Queen of Air and Darkness" was not included in NEW AMERICA, after "To Promote The General Welfare," albeit the volume would have needed a more apt title in that case. There would have been no need for the Publisher's note if that had been done.
Besides the names of various gods, it would make sense for future colonists to choose the names of legendary heroes for their planets: Rustum, Roland, Beowulf, etc. I think the Technic series has at least one planet named after a Christian saint.
Four additional stories might be speculatively thought of as belonging to the Rustum timeline? Besides "Home" and "The Alien Enemy," I thought of "Time Lag" and possibly "In the Shadow." But we would then have to consider the Gearchy in "Shadow" as succeeding the Directorate.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
My copy of NEW AMERICA contains:
"My Own, My Native Land"
"Passing the Love of Women"
"A Fair Exchange"
"To Promote The General Welfare"
Publisher's Note
"The Queen of Air and Darkness"
"Home"
a second, unheaded, note
"Our Many Roads to the Stars"
My copy of THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS AND OTHER STORIES contains:
FOREWORD
"The Queen of Air and Darkness"
"Home"
"The Alien Enemy"
"The Faun"
"In The Shadow"
"Time Lag"
"In The Shadow" is the only one that I think does not fit in with any of the others.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I forgot about Anderson's non-fictional article, which is also in my copy of NEW AMERICA.
I also have THE QUEEN OF AIR AND DARKNESS AND OTHER STORIES, by Gregg Press. And I did think of "The Faun." What made me hesitate about including it in the Rustum timeline was uncertainty on how the colonists of that story came to their planet, of whether it was stated STL means were used.
I think now "In the Shadow" definitely can't be said to be in the Rustum timeline.
Ad astra! Sean
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