Pivotal Instalments

When an sf narrative is also an instalment of a future history series, and particularly of Poul Anderson's Technic History series, it has a dual aspect, internal and external. Internally, Anderson's The People Of The Wind presents endless fascinating details about the planet, Avalon. Externally, it has its place in the History where it plays the pivotal role of the first post-League novel. However, many Technic History instalments are pivotal:

"The Saturn Game" - the end of the Chaos and of the world as we know it and the beginning of the transition to Technic civilization;

"Wings of Victory" - first contact with Ythri;

"The Problem of Pain" - early exploration of Avalon;

"The Trouble Twisters" - the founding and inaugural mission of the first trade pioneer crew;

"Day of Burning" - the origin of the conflict with Merseia;

"Lodestar" - the conflict between van Rijn and Falkayn;

Mirkheim - the beginning of the end of the Polesotechnic League;

"The Star Plunderer" - the Time of Troubles and the beginning of the transition to the Terran Empire;

"Wingless" and "Rescue on Avalon" - the two-stage colonization of Avalon;

The Earth Book Of Stormgate - the completion and aftermath of an era;

A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows - the end of legitimacy in the Terran Empire;

"A Tragedy of Errors" - the post-Imperial Long Night and the building of new interstellar alliances;

"Starfog" - the beginning of an era of unprecedented wealth in another spiral arm of the galaxy and, unfortunately, the end of the History.