Histories are about personal and planetary changes. In Poul Anderson's Technic History, Emil Dalmady is a young man when Nicholas van Rijn promotes him and has him trained as an entrepreneur. Dalmady's daughter is an old woman when, on the newly colonized planet of Avalon, she tells the story of a very young man, David Falkayn's grandson. Youth and age continually interact.
In "Star Ship," the human Dougald Anson and the Khazaki Janazik were comrades who adventured across the planet Khazak when Anson was young but, for reasons explained in the story, their comradeship must end when Anson marries Masefield Ellen. And, because of their struggles, old Khazak will have to change when it joins Galactic civilization.
"Star Ship" is a short story with a lot of sword fights - "swords and science" fiction - but is also about life changes and historical changes.
No comments:
Post a Comment