-Poul Anderson, "Wings of Victory" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, December 2009), pp. 75-102 AT p. 79.
Participants in the first Grand Survey do not know that it is the first such interstellar survey just as participants in the Great War did not know that it was the First World War. The Terran Empire will have a Sector Alpha Crucis. The rogue planet, Satan, will swing round Beta Crucis. Rereading the earlier Technic History instalments, we appreciate their later significance.
After three years, the Olga under Captain Gray, discovers Ythri. Poul Anderson's Technic History series might have included a Grand Survey collection that would have constituted a "higher and greater Star Trek." This is a description that the British publisher, Charles Monteith, applied to James Blish's Cities in Flight but the Grand Survey comes even closer to the Enterprise's five-year mission.
"A ship of the first Grand Survey noted [Valenderay's] existence."
-Poul Anderson, "Day of Burning" IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, March 2010), pp. 209-272 AT p. 211.
Valenderay is the supernova that threatens Merseia.
"When the Survey team arrived [on Merseia], the Wilwidh culture stood on the brink of a machine age."
-ibid., p. 232.
Merseia, dominated by old Wilwidh, will be the main opponent of the Terran Empire.
"They found [Paradox] during the first Grand Survey."
Poul Anderson, "A Little Knowledge" IN David Falkayn: Star Trader, pp. 599-630 AT p. 601.
Paradox is not major player but is a fascinating detail of the Technic History. Hloch, compiler of The Earth Book of Stormgate, compares "A Little Knowledge" to a dewdrop reflecting the glade wherein it lies.
Have I missed any Grand Survey references?
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
What that use of "first Grand Survey" made me think was that there were plans on Earth to send out at least a second Grand Survey, probably after the first expedition came back and reported. That would help guide plans on where to send the second Survey.
That quote from the PILOT'S MANUAL about Saxo and its planets mentions it was discovered by the first Grand Survey. So Starkad was another of those planets discovered by the first Grand Survey!
A pity we don't have a story featuring the Second Grand Survey.
Ad astra! Sean
Dang! I meant to say that quote from the PILOT'S MANUAL mentioned above prefaced ENSIGN FLANDRY.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment