In Chapter XII, Arnanak parleys in Rua. Chapter XVIII opens:
"Jill had barely arrived at Ulu when Arnanak got a message that sent him off again. 'They want to parley in Rua,' he said." (p. 178)
We appreciate different points of view and knowing what is happening in different places at the same time. Ulu and Rua do not gain the same sense of substantiality as several locations on Hermes, Avalon or Dennitza in the Technic History but we know that Poul Anderson could have written more about Ishtar.
"[Jill] could walk about freely. Since her supply of amino acids and vitamins was sequestered between meals, she had no possibility of escape." (p. 178)
She is an honoured hostage: more honoured than human hostages sometimes are among their own kind. She enjoys her surroundings, then feels guilt about how those who care for her must be worrying.
There is an Andersonian description of a hall, its outbuildings and brawling life.
Then Jill encounters extra-Ishtarian life.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I also got that strong sense of substantiality from Anderson's descriptions of Admiralty Center, the Coral Palace, and the Crystal Moon in the Technic stories. And I could list many others.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: yup, Anderson was very good at getting the -particularity- of places.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I would love to visit the Coral Palace or the Crystal Moon for real!
And your own stories also give readers that strong sense of substantiality.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: I learned from the best... 8-).
BTW, time-travel stories with multiple hops through time are -really difficult- to write, particularly if time is mutable. They can get out of hand very easily.
'tis one reason I tend to write time-travel as a single jump.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
You did! And not only from Anderson, but also from the pre-STRANGER IN A STRANGE LAND works of RAH. And from working with Dave Drake and Jerry Pournelle.
Yes, you favor mostly alternate worlds/timelines SF.
Ad astra! Sean
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