When the planets Avalon and Freehold successfully resist the Terran Empire, the implication of Poul Anderson's texts is that these are good outcomes whereas, when the planets Ansa and Aeneas unsuccessfully resist the Empire, the implication is that these are also good outcomes. However, when the planet Brae unsuccessfully resists the Empire, the implication is that brutal military conquest is just business as usual for the Empire. Dominic Flandry participates without any qualm of conscience. Immediately afterwards, he thwarts Merseian subversion on Nyanza but Brae and Nyanza are not comparable. The Braean High Temple merely wants to remain independent and has not become a tool of Terra's enemy, Merseia. For these reasons, we commend Anderson's Technic History series for its multiple perspectives on what reads like authentic history.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I agree, but I recalled how Stirling pointed out in one of his earlier comments in the blog that any really large state or realm are going to have such things. That is, the empire (whatever it's called) will see its officers/agents acting well in one part, and badly in another. The trick will be to keep the bad from outweighing the good.
Ad astra! Sean
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