Saturday 24 February 2024

Comparing Three Editions Of "The Longest Voyage"

I originally read Poul Anderson's "The Longest Voyage" in The Hugo Winners, edited by Isaac Asimov. I no longer have that volume but do own three other editions.

"...a planet akin to Diell of Coint..."

Should that read "Diell or Coint"? Yes:

"...a planet akin to Diell or Coint..."
-Poul Anderson, "The Longest Voyage" IN Anderson, The Collected Short Works Of Poul Anderson, Volume 2, The Queen Of Air And Darkness (Framingham MA, 2009), pp. 114-136 AT p. 117.

"...a planet akin to Diell or Coint..."
-Poul Anderson, "The Longest Voyage" IN Anderson, The Book Of Poul Anderson (New York, 1975), pp. 153-183 AT p. 157.

Next:

"'...this journey was on its own goal...'"

Should that read "'...this journey was its own goal...'"? Yes:

"'...this journey was its own goal...'"
-The Queen Of Air And Darkness, p. 119.

"'...this journey was its own goal...'"
-The Book Of Poul Anderson, p. 159.

Next:

"'When he came, he saw his chance...'"

The context and meaning make me think that this passage should read "When we came..." However:

"When he came, he saw his chance...'"
-The Queen Of Air And Darkness, p. 128.

"When he came, he saw his chance..."
-The Book Of Poul Anderson, p. 171.

I suspect that this last is an error in three editions.

11 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I'm reminded of how flummoxed I was when I belatedly paid attention to how HUNTERS OF THE SKY CAVE described Ymirites as having multiple heads! I checked all the different editions I have of that story to see if the relevant texts agreed about those multiple heads--and they did. I was forced to conclude it was not a misprint. (Laughs)

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

"For it is not in the bright arrival planned
But in the journeying along the way
We find the Golden Road to Samarkand."

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Very nice, I agree. But I also believe the goals or endings of journeys also matters. It also matters whether or not we achieve the purposes of those journeys.

Ad astra! Sean

Jim Baerg said...

How then am I so different from the first men through this way?
Like them, I left a settled life, I threw it all away
To seek a Northwest Passage at the call of many men
To find there but the road back home again

From Northwest Passage by Stan Rogers

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Jim!

But I still believe journeys should be for achieving ends and goals. But I do agree some will explore for the sake of exploration, or for knowledge. But those are ends and goals too!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Jim: tho' another verse of that song goes:

"They came seeking gold and glory;
They left weathered, scattered bones,
Or some long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones."

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

A nice touch of hard headed realism!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Sean: High reward, high risk... 8-).

We remember Cortez, not all the would-be conquistadores who failed.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Ha! That is true. I might include Pizarro as well, because he succeeded in conquering the Inca Empire. Well, he was assassinated by rival conquistadors!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Robert E. Howard took the description of Pizzaro's death and used it for a Conan story, where assassins break into his room and try to kill him -- even to the unlaced breastplate.

Only Conan wins, of course.

Still, Pizzaro was over 70 when that happened and he still killed two of the assassins and wounded several others badly.

He was one tough old buzzard.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I agree, Francisco Pizarro was a terrifyingly formidable and utterly fearless soldier and fighter! And ruthless, as his role in the judicial murder of the Inca king Atahualpa shows. It would have been far more honorable if Pizarro had sent him to exile in Spain, where I have no doubt Charles I and V would have shown his fallen brother monarch the usual courtesies due a king.

It's only fair to say, if I recall Prescott correctly, Pizarro allegedly felt regret and remorse for his role in Atahualpa's death.

Ad astra! Sean