Near the end of
Satan's World, the trader team fights its way off the planet, Dathyna. At the beginning of "Lodestar," the team fights its way off Tametha. Is this just space opera with every Earthman a hero and the only good alien a dead one? No way, although a casual reader might think so. David Falkayn is human but his citizenship is Hermetian, not Solar. His planetographer and exobiologist are a Wodenite and a Cynthian, respectively. When not fighting Dathynans, they must study and understand Dathynan evolution so that the Polesotechnic League will know how to deal with the current dominant species of that planet. The team members understand all too well that the Tamethans have rebelled because they have been exploited by League merchants - and also that Something Must Be Done. The fight on Tametha leads to disclosures about general conflicts in Technic civilization which generate a specific conflict even between Falkayn and van Rijn - although the latter, fortunately, is resolved quickly. Poul Anderson liked his action scenes but don't stop reading because of them. When a story starts with action, it will proceed to address an issue or an idea.
In a later Technic History instalment, we will identify with Ythrian and human Avalonians as they fight back against the Terran Empire.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, Anderson packed a lot into his stories besides action and adventure. I would add that he had to make his stories interesting to readers who might prefer the action/adventure. If done well some readers might reread them--and hopefully take note of the ideas and reflections to be found in them.
"Stories" totally about ideas will read more like political or philosophical tracts, and bore most readers!
Ad astra! Sean
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