Any appearance of system is of course only an appearance. Poul Anderson did not set out to write specific numbers of instalments set in successive periods of a pre-planned future history series. However, now that an organically grown series is complete, readers are able to analyze its 43 instalments as follows:
1 about interplanetary exploration
1 about first contact with Ythri
1 about Ythrian-human exploration of Gray/Avalon
1 about Adzel as a student
6 about van Rijn without any other continuing characters
2 about Falkayn before he led van Rijn's first trader team
2 about that trader team (1 introducing Merseia)
3 about van Rijn and the team
2 about other League merchants
1 about Falkayn-led human-Ythrian colonization of Avalonian islands
1 about their colonization of a continent
1 about the post-League Troubles
1 about the early Terran Empire
1 about Avalon against the Empire
3 about young Flandry defending the Empire against Merseia
2 other Imperial instalments
8 Captain Flandry instalments
2 "Admiral Flandry" novels
1 about the post-Imperial Long Night
3 about later interstellar civilizations
The series grew to completion. A summary omits many inter-connections but regular readers know what they are.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Plus, Anderson mentioned how he had to "grit his teeth" and compile detailed notes and charts to keep what were originally two different series from bogging down into a welter of contradictions. I hope that "overflowing loose-leaf binder" containing those papers has survived.
Alas, Anderson admitted in one of his letters to me that he was not much for keeping papers he did not think he had any further need for.
Ad astra! Sean
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