In both Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History and his Technic History, some characters speak as if they are in contact with inhabited planets throughout the galaxy:
"'...we wanted some of our people to have a look at galactic civilization...'" (p. 32)
"'No one can remember all the folkways of all the colonies. This is such a big galaxy.'" (ibid.)
"'...with galactic information flow as inadequate as it is...'" (p. 36)
However, more often, it is emphasized that Technic civilization has partially explored only one small volume of space near the outer edge of a single spiral arm of the galaxy. Thousands of years later, in "Starfog," human civilizations have spread through only two or three spiral arms.
While reading the "galactic" passages, we can imagine a much vaster civilizational background although, when the future history is read in its entirety, this is not the case. Similarly, in James Blish's Cities In Flight, some passages state that Earth in known throughout the galaxy although others inform us that the Earthman culture dominates only Arm II.
It must be difficult to keep the background consistent while writing a series set on such a vast interstellar scale.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
So some of the Outbacker leaders wanted some idea of the known galaxy? I was reminded of this bit from Chapter II of THE PLAGUE OF MASTERS, with an Alfzarian merchant speaking to Flandry: "We sell them books, newstapes, anything to keep their ruling class up to date on what's happening in the rest of the known galaxy. Maybe the common people on Unan Besar are rusticating. But the overlords are not."
The Outbackers erred in not making themselves truly KNOWN by both the Nine Cities and the Empire back when the Cities applied for Freehold to be annexed by Terra. It meant the treaty of annexation and the charter defining and regulating Freehold's rights and obligations in the Empire was based on seriously inadequate information.
Ad astra! Sean
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