The Shauns

Starfarers, 21.

We are back in Kith Town on Earth and our viewpoint character is Kenri Shaun of Fleetwing. Kenri's full name is highlighted in the opening sentence whereas, in the original version of this story, entitled "Ghetto," it had first appeared in the third sentence. "Ghetto" was the first Kith story to be written. Later, Poul Anderson constructed a history for a Kith family with an evolving surname:

Michael Shaughnessy

Ramil Shauny, Michael's great-grandson

Ormer Shaun

Wolden Shaun, Kenri's father

Kenri Shaun

Vodra Shaun

Future histories involve fictional biographies and genealogies. In Anderson's Technic History, there are:

Tamarins, Falkayns and Runebergs on Hermes;

Falkayns and Holms on Avalon;

Abrams on Dayan;

McCormacs and Frederiksens on Aeneas;

Kittredges on Vixen;

Miyatovichs and Vymezals on Dennitza.

Although Starfarers remains a single-volume future history, it is constructed with comparable attention to detail.