A pivotal bead on the string is "The Star Plunderer." Sandra Miesel accurately describes Manuel Argos as both charismatic and pragmatic and as a "...leader of enormous energy." (p. 240) This is one of those times when history could have taken a very different path.
The Terran Empire sprang from chaos whereas the Solar Commonwealth had arisen after a century of redevelopment following a period called the Chaos. Miesel describes the Empire as "...parochial and protective..." but the Polesotechnic League as "...ecumenical and expansionist..." (pp. 241-242): a succinct summary. I think that Poul Anderson would have appreciated this Afterword. And now I want to eat and turn to alternative evening reading but no way have we finished with Sandra Miesel's discussion of the Technic History.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I can see how the Empire could be thought "...parochial and protective...," when compared to the bright noontide and confident expansionism of the League. The traumatic shock of the Time of Troubles after about 2550 would instill in many planets and races an urgent desire for some of defense in a very dangerous universe.
Ad astra! Sean
Anderson's concept of the Empire is - generally - akin to the ERE or Byzantium, rather than Rome per se; certainly expansionist when (presumably) strategy suggests so, but (generally) more a defensive reaction to the collapse of the Commonwealth/League and the resulting interstellar conflict.
The Seleucids etc., rather than Alexander, is another example, although Manuel is something of a Alexander figure.
Kaor, Dave!
I basically agree, the Terran Empire seems to have had a defensive view of the universe. It expanded, but only up to a point, to where it could defend itself against all comers. Annexations afterwards were for strategic reasons--e.g., recall Jihannath and the Syrax cluster.
Yes, by Flandry's time the Empire did have a rather Byzantine "feel" to it.
Yes, some of the early Seleucids wanted to rebuild Alexander's empire, but failed.
Ad astra! Sean
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