Monday, 22 July 2024

In The Library Of Dreams

In Neil Gaiman's The Sandman graphic novels series, the Library of Dreams contains every book that has never been written or that exists only in dreams, e.g.:

Alice's Adventures Behind The Moon by Lewis Carroll;
The Emperor Over The Sea by CS Lewis;
Lord Greystoke On Barsoom by Edgar Rice Burroughs;
The Bestselling Romantic Spy Thriller I Used To Think About On The Bus That Would Sell A Billion Copies And Mean I'd Never Have To Work Again by an unnamed dreamer.

My daughter, Aileen, said that she had seen an eighth Narnia book somewhere in the house...

Poul Anderson must have many works in the Library of Dreams. I can think of at least three.

"As for what became of those who were still alive at the end of the book, and the sword, and Faerie itself - which obviously no longer exists on Earth - that is another tale, which may someday be told."
-Poul Anderson, The Broken Sword (London, 1977), FOREWORD, p. 12.

The withdrawal of the Fairies from Earth is mentioned in The Sandman. Poul Anderson wrote many more relevant works but did not return to this specific theme although it is alluded to in The Merman's Children.

Secondly, another non-existent title: Emperor Flandry. The plot would be that there is another succession crisis and the Policy Board invites Dominic Flandry to ascend the Throne.

Thirdly, The Return Of Aycharaych. This might also tell us what became of the Merseians.

Also, of course, entire series about Diana Crowfeather, Roan Tom, the Long Night, the Allied Planets and Rangers of the Commonalty.

13 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Good speculative choices I agree. Other real world writers have thought of writing stories that never got written. Such as Robert Heinlein's "The Stone Pillow," and Dorothy Sayers apparently thought/planned on writing another Lord Peter Wimsey novel: THRONES, DOMINATIONS--which was never written.

Or sometimes writers left works unfinished at the time they died. Such as Jerry Pournelle's MAMELUKES, which was completed by his son Philip Pournelle and David Weber.

There are even times a book was written but could not be pub. due to legal disputes, complications, problems.

Ad astra! Sean

Jim Baerg said...

"There are even times a book was written but could not be pub. due to legal disputes, complications, problems."

For an example of that see "The Salvation War"

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/TheSalvationWar

"Allegedly due to the creation and spread of a torrent of the stories, The Salvation War is now radioactive as far as publishers are concerned...."

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Jim and Paul!

Jim: What you said about THE SALVATION WAR was intriguing. Something to look up!

Paul: I should have added the US is itself now enduring a succession/constitutional crisis, since "Josip's" catastrophic debate with Donald Trump in June made the former's physical and mental incapacity indisputable and impossible to cover up. Democrat big shots finally forced "Josip" to quit running for President this past Sunday.

And that's not the end of it! Many are saying that if "Josip" is unfit to run for President then he is unfit to be President at all and should abdicate. At a minimum "Josip" should invoke the XXV Amendment and write to the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tem of the Senate that he is unfit to exercise the powers of his office and is delegating them to the Vice President, with the latter becoming Acting President.

If he refuses to do that then the VP and a majority of the Cabinet (8) should invoke Amendment XXV, write similarly to the above mentioned officials and declare the President unable to exercise the powers of his office and temporarily transfer them to the VP as Acting President.

If none of the above works the only other resort is for the House of Representatives to impeach the President for high crimes and misdemeanors and be tried and removed from office by the Senate.

And where the heck is "Josip"????? He hasn't been seen since a week ago! And he is forcing visitors like the PM of Israel to cool their heels as they wait to see him, which is not the way to treat visiting heads of state or gov't!

Good heavens! This ghastly man is again making the "real" Josip look good. Which would amaze Anderson! I am so angry at him and the Democrats for foisting this bungler on us!

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Agreed. Biden should have gone a long time ago or should not have been there in the first place.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Absolutely! "Josip" was mentally and physically unfit to be President even in 2020. But Democrat big shots and their running dog lackeys in the leftist dominated media thought he would be a suitable puppet and figurehead!

Ad astra! Sean

Jim Baerg said...

"The Salvation War" can be read as mocking religion, especially the Abrahamic religions. Though apparently some Christians read it as mocking only certain *interpretations* of the Abrahamic religions and enjoyed it. YMMV
When I read & enjoyed the 1st two books and heard about the bit torrent thing I got the impression that the person who did that regarded the books as an insult the Christianity and wanted to sabotage publication of them.

Regarding Biden. If I had the vote in the US I would have voted for Biden as by far the lesser evil than Trump. Trump is also declining mentally and before that started he was just a nasty person who defrauded contractors and cheated on successive wives.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Jim!

Understood, as regards THE SALVATION WAR.

Then first petition for US citizenship, reside five years in the US, take the citizenship exam and the oath of allegiance before voting.

I have never voted for any Democrats for partisan offices. Because, as an institution, the Democrat Party is a bad thing, and has been since Woodrow Wilson's time. It was after the 1912 election that leftists gave up on taking over the Republican Party and focused on the Democrats. Briefly, they stand for a gov't in which power is more and more concentrated and centralized. Many leftists are impatient with the US Constitution, with its checks, balances, restraints on state power, written by men distrustful of allowing humans to have too much power.

There are many other reasons why I dislike and distrust US leftists! So, yes, I hope the radical leftist Kamala Harris is crushed by Trump in November. Trump, for all his flaws, has no choice but to govern as a fairly standard American conservative if he wins and wants to be effective as President in a second term.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Trump is anything but a standard conservative! He denies the result if he loses an election, tried to get a result overturned and instigated a riot.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Whether I like it or not Trump is still the nominee of the GOP. And he's the only alternative to a leftist like Harris. Harris would be more effective in advancing the bad ideas and goals of the left unburdened by the senility and decrepitude of "Josip."

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

But will Trump's cronies fill all political and judicial posts with his yes men? Will they try to use the Army to expel large numbers of immigrants? What will he do to international relations? How friendly is he with Putin? Should he not be brought to justice for the Capitol riot and for electoral interference?

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I don't share this wearisome obsessing over Trump, when I hoped someone like Gov. DeSantis of FL would be the nominee!

All Presidents, of both major parties, have appointed their cronies and supporters to offices legally available to them. As they should if they want to have people who support their goals and plans assisting them.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Wanting justice after the Capitol riot is hardly obsessing.

There are signs that Trumpists want to appoint yes men across the board.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

The problem posed by yes men is one faced by all presidents, kings, prime ministers, or dictators.

Ad astra! Sean