Anderson refers to those philosophers of history whose theories of historical cycles imply:
"...that we will make the same old mistakes over and over again, with the same old consequences, though at the time these will always be called new and progressive. As I have remarked elsewhere, the lessons of history aren't really hard to learn; the trouble is that hardly anyone wants to learn them." (p. 133)
The most powerful expression of such a theory in science fiction is Anderson's History of Technic Civilization, in particular its novel, A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, and in particular that passage in which Chunderban Desai in conversation with Dominic Flandry spells out the stages and time scales of (just barely) avoidable decline. Desai's account rings true, resonates now and refers back to the events of the earlier pivotal novel, Mirkheim, thus binding the Technic History into a fictional chronological and historical unity. Nicholas van Rijn, last seen in Mirkheim, is a historical figure to Flandry. The History climaxes at a time when Flandry is long forgotten and when van Rijn's and Flandry's Anglic language is long dead. For the most comprehensive future history series in sf, read Poul Anderson's Technic History.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
While I agree scholars like John K. Hord can contribute very useful insights, a note of caution seems called for. Human affairs and history is so chaotic and contingent that SOMETHING unexpected can make events go in direction X instead of A,B,C, etc.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: agreed.
For example, Octavian not only won the Roman civil war, but lived and ruled for 40-odd years afterwards.
Without him, quite probably the Mediterranean world would have been divided among multiple Roman warlords, the way the post-Alexander the Great Hellenic world was.
For that matter, if Alexander had lived another 40 years...
Just in case someone reading this blog has not read "Conquistador" by a certain S. M. Stirling...
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Jim!
Mr. Stirling: Even an Alexander the Great who lived to old age might have led to a world I would have to regard with distaste, as Anderson showed in the ironically named "Eutopia."
Jim: Or, besides CONQUISTADOR, I would suggest readers also look up Stirling's THE PESHAWAR LANCERS.
Ad astra! Sean
Jim: 8-).
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