Monday, 30 January 2023

On Nerthus

Poul Anderson, "The Acolytes" IN Anderson, The Complete Psychotechnic League, Volume 3 (Riverdale, NY, July 2018), pp. 3-19.

In Poul Anderson's Technic History, Nat Falkayn grows up on the newly colonized planet, Avalon. In Anderson's Psychotechnic History, ten year old Wilson Pete visits the newly colonized planet, Nerthus. 

Nerthus, relatively close to Earth, is still a frontier planet yet Pete's Uncle Gunnar had:

"...been all over the Galaxy before he settled down on Nerthus." (p. 3)

Maybe Pete exaggerates with that thought, "...all over the Galaxy..."?

Nerthusian "ponies" have six legs and green fur. Pete finds it hard to get used to the "...funny humping motion..." (p. 7) caused by the "...middle pair of legs..." (ibid.) In the Technic History, green stathas have six legs and:

"Six legs gave a lulling rhythm."
-Poul Anderson, The Day Of Their Return IN Anderson, Captain Flandry: Defender Of The Terran Empire (Riverdale, NY, February 2010), pp. 1-238 AT 4, p. 102

- to a rider.

Similar details remind us of common authorship. The future histories differ in major respects.

3 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

Not to mention Barsoomian thoats, which have -eight- legs... 8-).

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

But are green. PA probably had ERB in mind.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!

They did remind me of thoats!

Ad astra! Sean