Three Introductions

Each of the three stories collected in Poul Anderson's Trader To The Stars is preceded by a different kind of introduction:

(i) a passage specifically written for this volume that begins by quoting the opening line of Percy Shelley's "Hellas: Chorus" and ends with the fictional signature, "Le Matelot";

(ii) a passage quoted from Anderson's own "Margin of Profit";

(iii) the third stanza of "Hellas: Chorus."

Thus, an almost equal Shelley-Anderson mix.

The three introductions convey the sense of adventure and achievement that is the spirit of the Polesotechnic League. Thus, they, together with the stories introduced, pave the way for the four subsequent volumes that chart both the glory and the decline of the League. Anyone expecting endless stories about the League in its heyday learns that this series is about historical processes, not just about a single historical period.