A More Complex Future History Series

Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History is united by a few common background references - "Cosmos," Nerthus, the Coordination Service - whereas his Technic History presents multiple interweaving historical processes. The Merseian Roidhunate had been distant but growing in the pre-Flandry novel, The People Of The Wind. Pre-Roidhunate Merseians had appeared in "Day of Burning" and Mirkheim. In "Day of Burning," the Merseians had interacted with Nicholas van Rijn's first trade pioneer crew comprising David Falkayn, Adzel and Chee Lan although van Rijn himself was not named in this story. Van Rijn, Falkayn, Adzel and references to Chee Lan's home planet, Cynthia, had all appeared before these four characters gradually converged. The second and third Technic History instalments introduce Ythrians and the planet Avalon. The People Of The Wind is about the Terran Empire attacking Avalon centuries after Falkayn has led the joint human-Ythrian colonization of that planet. Two short stories describe two successive stages of the colonization process. Two preceding short stories had recounted the proclamation and early days of the Terran Empire. And so on. I advise anyone new to sf to read Robert Heinlein's Future History and Anderson's Psychotechnic and Technic Histories in that order.