Two standard sf scenarios are:
a spaceship crew explores a newly discovered planet;
human beings have colonized, and now live everyday lives on, a terrestroid extra-solar planet.
An sf author can at any time write a new non-series story set in such a scenario. However, our pleasure is enhanced when we learn that an as yet unread story is set within an already established framework. Thus, in Poul Anderson's Technic History, The Earth Book Of Stormgate begins with human exploration of Ythri, then Ythrian exploration (with human assistance) of Gray/Avalon, and ends with two accounts of the everyday lives of human and Ythrian colonials on Avalon.
Also in the Technic History, "Sargasso of Lost Starships" begins with Basil Donovan drinking in the Golden Planet on Ansa and The Game Of Empire begins with Diana Crowfeather encountering Axor in the old quarter on Imhotep and repairing with him to the Sign of the Golden Cockbeetle. Exotic to us; everyday to them.
I want to tackle Basil Donovan further but have to eat first and might run out of time this evening.
Other reading: the Lucifer graphic series by Mike Carey in which an English schoolgirl is God's granddaughter.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
What I wondered was why anyone would name his tavern "The Golden Cockbeetle"! That made me think of nasty, filthy insects like cockroaches.
Ad astra! Sean
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