Friday, 18 July 2025

Meanwhile...


In the opening passage of Chapter I, a rabbit escapes from a trap.

In the opening passage of Chapter 6, a witch doctor contemplates the laws of causality and contagion while a black leader and an armed gorilla plan revolution.

In the opening passage of Chapter 9, a materialist, a priest and a Sensitive take part in a Russian revolution.

In the opening passage of Chapter 14, men have developed higher mental powers.

These vignettes show what is happening in different parts of the world simultaneously with the main events of the novel to which we will shortly return.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kaor, Paul!

That bit about "higher mental powers" has a suspiciously Asimovian look. It reminds me of the implausible mental of the Mule and the Second Foundation. And that would not be a surprise--because of course Anderson read Asimov's FOUNDATION stories as they were being pub. by Campbell.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

But these mental powers are like yogic control of bodily functions, not remote control over other people's minds.

Anonymous said...

Kaor, Paul!

Then I have to grant that point--while still finding it hard to suspend my disbelief.

Ad astra! Sean