Volume I
The first three stories in this volume are preliminaries. In the remaining eight instalments, the period of the Solar Commonwealth and the Polesotechnic League has been established and is not yet in decline. Nicholas van Rijn is old but still active in no less than four instalments, including one novel. Adzel studies on Earth. David Falkayn rises quickly within the League. League merchants trade on many planets, including Ivanhoe which appears twice. An endless series could have been set within this period. However, large scale change happens and will become evident in Volume II.
Volume II
"Territory": No change so far. Van Rijn remains active.
"The Trouble Twisters": Change for individuals. Van Rijn appoints Falkayn to lead the trader team.
"Day of Burning": Change with long term consequences on Merseia.
"The Master Key": Van Rijn slows down and solves a problem from an armchair.
Satan's World: An external threat to Technic civilization.
"A Little Knowledge": Merchants deal unscrupulously with other species.
"Lodestar": Major conflicts within the League, even between van Rijn and Falkayn.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Except the villains in "A Little Knowledge" were not merchants--they were unscrupulous technicians and engineers selling their knowledge to barbarian warlords.
Ad astra! Sean
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