"Lodestar" And MIRKHEIM

Poul Anderson's "Lodestar," which introduces the planet later called Mirkheim, was published in Astounding: The John W. Campbell Memorial Anthology, edited by Harry Harrison, in 1973. Anderson's novel, Mirkheim, was published in 1977. Thus, anyone who read these volumes as they were published read "Lodestar" before Mirkheim. However, those who read Anderson's collections and novels in their publication order find that "Lodestar" is collected in The Earth Book of Stormgate, published in 1978. It is appropriate, therefore, that, when the fictional editor, Hloch, introduces "Lodestar" in the Earth Book, he tells us that this story contains:

"...information that has long been concealed: how Nicholas van Rijn came to the world which today we know as Mirkheim."

-Poul Anderson, INTRODUCTION to "Lodestar" IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, March 2010), pp. 631-632 AT p. 631.

Neither Hloch's readers on Avalon nor many of Anderson's readers on Earth had read "Lodestar" before the publication of the Earth Book. Thus, this story can legitimately be introduced on a "now it can be told" basis.

Finally, in Baen Books' The Technic Civilization Saga (2009-2012), we read Anderson's entire History of Technic Civilization in chronological order of fictional events. Thus, "Lodestar" closes Volume II, David Falkayn: Star Trader (2010) whereas Mirkheim opens Volume III, Rise Of The Terran Empire (2011), although Hloch's introduction, reproduced like all other Earth Book introductions in the Saga, still refers to "...information that has long been concealed..."

I still like the idea of reading or rereading the Technic History in its original publication order.