Multiple Characters

Poul Anderson's Technic History presents more than just three main series characters with large supporting casts. Many substantial and interesting characters weave in and out of the narratives in high-profile, in-your-face roles with complicated interactions.

We read:

about Adzel and David Falkayn before either of them works for Nicholas van Rijn;

about Chunderban Desai and Aycharaych before either of them meets Dominic Flandry;

about John Ridenour after Flandry has worked with him on Starkad;

about Crown Prince Josip before he becomes Terran Emperor.

James Ching and Emil Dalmady each appear in only a single short story but Hloch, the Earth Book editor who does not appear in any of the stories, informs us of their subsequent careers. Christopher Holm appears only in The People Of The Wind but is the author or co-author with Hloch of works collected in the Earth Book.

Coya Conyon is van Rijn's granddaughter in "Lodestar" and Nicholas Falkayn's mother in Mirkheim and Nicholas is Nat Falkayn's father in "Wingless."

Van Rijn meets Sandra Tamarin and Eric Wace in his first novel, The Man Who Counts. He meets Sandra and his and her son, Eric Tamarin, in his third and last novel, Mirkheim.

Manuel Argos appears only once but, pivotally, founds the Terran Empire.

I want to focus on Ridenour but have cast the net widely first.