In "Lodestar," there is a conflict of interest between the undeveloped planets which need capital investment and the PL companies which continue to invest elsewhere. In one company, Solar Spice & Liquors, the conflict comes to be between the owner, Nicholas van Rijn, who continues to seek profits, and David Falkayn, who champions the undeveloped planets.
In Mirkheim, the overt war between Babur and the Solar Commonwealth masks the underlying conflict within the PL between the Seven in Space cartel and the rest of the League: Home Companies cartel and the independents, the latter including SSL. Falkayn plays a crucial role in identifying the real enemy so that appropriate action can be taken. But the League is doomed.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I thought the conflicts seen in MIRKHEIM to be realistically depicted. Additionally, the cartelization of the Home Companies on Earth also meant they were falling more and more into de facto control by the State, the Commonwealth. Sort of what Mussolini aspired for Italy.
I think we should understand what the Seven in Space were trying to do was setting up some kind of interstellar gov't, with the complication that Benoni Strang was manipulating them!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
MIRKHEIM is a good novel because it shows change in the lives of individuals and of society, a good political novel it shows every side of a conflict and a good sf novel because its plot is based on the idea of supermetals generated by a supernova.
Paul.
Missed a "because."
Kaor. Paul!
I agree! And I wonder if there are real world Mirkheims out there in the galaxy, covered with useful and valuable "supermetals" if men could gain access to them?
Read all but one of the stories in DIALOGUE WITH DARKNESS, so maybe I should reread MIRKHEIM next. The complication being I've started reading THE RIVERSIDE SHAKESPEARE (1974); and I should get back to rereading Cervantes' DON QUIXOTE (actually, a different translation of that work).
Ad astra! Sean
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