We see Nicholas van Rijn, his granddaughter, Coya Conyon, her children, Juanita and Nicholas, and her grandson, Nathaniel. We also see Coya's husband, David Falkayn, and David's mother, Athena.
Emperor Hans, the Usurper, is succeeded by his son, Dietrich, who is succeeded by his brother, Gerhart, who will be succeeded by Crown Prince Karl.
Coya reflects:
"My grandfather's generation seldom bothered to get married. My father's did. And mine, why, we're reviving patrilineal surnames."
-Poul Anderson, "Lodestar" IN Anderson, Rise of the Terran Empire (Riverdale, NY, March 2010), pp. 631-682 AT p. 644.
Dominic Flandry reflects:
"In my grandfather's day we were still keeping what was ours, mostly. In my father's day, the slogan became 'conciliation and consolidation,' which means retreat. Is my day - my very own personal bit of daylight between the two infinite darknesses - is it going to turn into the Long Night?
"He clamped his teeth together and climbed more vigorously. Not if I can help it!"
-A Circus of Hells, CHAPTER SIX, p. 234.
Generational differences encapsulate a lot of history.
3 comments:
Also, people don't remain the same regardless of their generation. You're not the same person -- in attitudes, beliefs, etc. -- at 80 that you were at 20; particularly not in a period of rapid change.
We'd also all be different people if there had, exemplia gratia, been a nuclear war in 1962.
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: I sympathize with and support Flandry's determination to help stave off the Long Night. I think we would both like to have known more about his grandfather and the Empire as it then was.
Mr. Stirling: I agree, as yeas passed some of my attitudes have changed. Not all, but some.
Ad astra! Sean
SM - If there had been, the would be a lot fewer of us ...
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