What I left out late last night was that "Tiger By The Tail" (1951) was the beginning of the Dominic Flandry series and of the Technic History. However,
Ensign Flandry (1966), introduced by excerpts from a
Pilot's Manual and Ephemeris, is the beginning of Flandry's career and the omnibus collection,
Young Flandry (2010), opening with
Ensign Flandry, is the beginning of the Flandry period in
The Technic Civilization Saga. Finally, for now, "The Star Plunderer" (1952), introduced by Donvar Ayeghen of the Galactic Archaeological Society, describes the beginning of the Terran Empire later defended by Flandry. History is a series of beginnings.
Some long series are bound together by a cast of characters weaving in and out between episodes. In "Tiger By The Tail," Admiral Walton speaks very highly of Flandry. In "Hunters of the Sky Cave," Flandry speaks highly of Walton and later works with him. We want more Walton but we like the little that we get.
8 comments:
Paul - Fair point; Anderson, although focused on Flandry (and in his 'Horatio Hornblower' espy), does make it clear that any organization the size of the one he imagines for Flandry to serve requires capable leaders - and that for all the entertainment value of Flandry's adventures, there is an entire universe "out there" that the reader sees little of - not unlike Forester, who routinely slipped in the occasional mention of Nelson or Cochrane or what have you, and whose protagonist misses Trafalgar, the 100 Days, etc.
Along with Adm. Walton, who comes off as a capable professional in these two episodes, Anderson had a series of stories (including the van Rijin-Falkayn-Flandry group) where professional (space) naval flag and field grade officers are protagonists, co-protagonists, or both ... and these include both men and women, and (for that matter) non-Humans.
Might be fodder for a series of posts, unless you've already done so. ;)
Best,
Kaor, Paul and Dave!
Paul:I agree, I too would have liked to have seen more of Admiral Walton. I esp. recall the very evocative character description of the admiral as Flandry conferred with him on his flag ship.
It does make me wonder what happened with Walton after Josip died one or two years later. In the confusion of a disputed succession I can easily see some of his personnel, human and non-human, trying to hail him as Emperor. My impression of Walton was that he was the kind of man who would absolutely refuse such an acclamation, because of having no right or claim to the throne.
Dave: It's too easy, and erroneous, comparing the Hornblower stories with those about Flandry. Aside from both starting their careers from very modest origins, the two characters could hardly be more different from each other. Hornblower was incorrigibly middle class in his tastes, habits, views, while Flandry was nearly his polar opposite in all these things.
Ad astra! Sean
Hornblower was a regular RN officer on war vessels most of the time. Flandry, after his earlier career, was an intelligence agent.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Yes, but I was thinking of how different Hornblower and Flandry were from each other in personality, tastes, inclinations, etc. Also, Flandry did think of himself as a Naval officer, albeit in the Naval Intelligence Corps.
Ad astra! Sean
The comment was simply in relation to the framing device of a professional's career that both Forester and Anderson chose to use; it's different than (say) Marryat or Melville, who wrote nautical fiction, but did not follow a single protagonist - or, for example, Gilpatric, who wrote a lengthy series of stories centered on a single ship and her crew, but who - for the most part - did not change or age.
Kaor, Dave!
Understood.
Ad astra! Sean
DS: yup, you're right about that. Fiction's a moving target -- it works out the implications of things over generations.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And many thanks for the pleasure and interest your "alternates" have given me!
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment