Poul Anderson's text and narrative are extremely condensed. Rereading the relevant passages in search of more background details on Nanteiwon, Ywod and Kyrwedhin, we find that the previous blog posts intended as summaries have in fact conveyed all the information to be found in the relevant paragraphs of Chapter XVI. The text generates the impression of familiarity with persons and places that are seen briefly, then never again. (Although Flandry does glimpse Kyrwedhin just once more in the Parliament:
("Flandry's eyes picked out Kyrwedhin. Weird, that the sole Dennitzan up there whom he knew should bear Merseian genes."
(-XVII, p. 560)
Similarly, in Mirkheim, a figure as important as Athena Falkayn is mentioned and appears just once in conversation with her son, David, although we probably afterwards think that we have seen this leading family member much more often than that. Poul Anderson's massive output is of streamlined texts.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, Anderson mastered the art of being able to say much even in brief texts. Altho I still wish he could have expanded A CIRCUS OF HELLS enough to tell and show us more about the Wayland AI. Maybe another ten pages?
Ad astra! Sean
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