Either we focus on a single detail of hyperdrive technology in Poul Anderson's "Hiding Place" or, alternatively, we pull back through successive stages, recognizing that "Hiding Place" is a Nicholas van Rijn story, therefore part of the Polesotechnic League series which is part of the Technic History which is one of Anderson's several future histories which are part of the Heinleinian future historical tradition which is one part of modern science fiction which began not with HG Wells'
The Time Machine, although that was a major milestone, but with Mary Shelley's
Frankenstein. On this blog, we always remember that Poul Anderson's last sf novel,
Genesis, readdressed the Frankensteinian themes - the roles of science and technology and the ultimate question: is it right to create human life?
"Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay
"to mould me man ? Did I solicit thee
"From darkness to promote me?"
-Paradise Lost, quoted at the beginning of Mary Shelley, Frankenstein [or, The Modern Prometheus] (New York, 1963), p. 10.
In Greek drama, the question is: are the gods just?
We have come a long way from a damaged hyperdrive but must return to the details to enjoy particular stories.
3 comments:
"is it right to create human life?"
Women & men have been doing that together for a long time. What Victor Frankenstein got wrong was being a bad parent.
IVF is established and artificial wombs are steadily working their way back in supporting embryos, so it's pretty much inevitable.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And I strongly suspect some millionaire or billionaire has secretly gotten himself cloned!
Ad astra! Sean
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