Somewhere in
The Lo
rd Of The Rings, a hobbit summarizing the history of Middle Earth suddenly realizes, "We are in the same story!" Great events happened a hundred years ago and are happening now. SF writers have to show them happening in the future and Poul Anderson does. The government of the Solar Commonwealth must respond to the Baburite seizure of Mirkheim. Pro- and anti-aristocratic factions on Hermes must respond to the Baburite occupation of their planet. The Dennitzan political system is convulsed when it seems that Dennitza will secede from the Terran Empire and even more so when it is learned that Kossara Vymezal has been sold as a slave on Terra. Populations in the Patricician System must respond to Admiral Magnusson's insurrection. We read it and live it.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
You probably have in mind the chapter in THE LORD OF THE RINGS titled "The Stairs of Cirith Ungol" as Frodo and Samwise were struggling to get into Mordor. And I agree, the Great Stories never truly end, despite particular characters entering and then leaving them.
And a huge complication about the Dennitza crisis was how it was plotted, fomented, and manipulated by the agents of a power hostile to Terra and Dennitza.
Ad astra! Sean
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