current news: Musk and Trump (stranger than fiction);
Jane Austen: Mr. Darcy overcomes his pride and prejudice to propose to Elizabeth Bennet;
Ian Fleming: Hugo "Temerity" Drax writes to the Queen about national defence whereas Auric Goldfinger keeps in the background;
Poul Anderson: Nicholas van Rijn has a high public profile, leads the Polesotechnic League independents and becomes both a legend in his own lifetime and a folk hero or villain on many planets for centuries afterwards.
Quite a mixed bag.
Second Thoughts Department: Bob Kane's Bruce Wayne became a costumed vigilante, Robert Heinlein's DD Harriman sold the Moon and Poul Anderson's Anson Guthrie had his personality preserved in an artificial neural network - more rich men doing strange things.
"Musk and Trump"
ReplyDeleteQuite a few months ago I read predictions that two such massive egos would fall out with each other.
How rich people comport themselves is heavily dependent on local custom. Eg., the British aristocracy in the 19th century (for most of it still the richest people around) was very, very different from the 13th century. It's also a product of how much turnover there is among the wealthy classes -- America has always had a large number of nouveau riche types, because its economy is more competitive.
ReplyDeleteKaor, Mr. Stirling!
ReplyDeleteWould I also be right thinking 13th century Anglo/Norman aristocrats would still be very much an armed military class? That is, they provided most trained military professionals for themselves and the king from their own resources.
Ad astra! Sean