Whether a narrative fiction is a novel is a matter of length which means word-count, not page-count. Since I do not know how to make word-counts, my very imprecise rule of thumb is that a novel is 100+ pages. "Star of the Sea" is 106 pages in the hardback
The Time Patrol and 174 pages in the paperback
Time Patrol so I count it as a short novel although it has never been published as a single volume or even as the title story of a shorter collection which is unfortunate because it would have generated some colourful cover illustrations:
"'I will come to you on the rainbow,' Niaerdh plighted."
-Poul Anderson, "Star of the Sea" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverside, NY, December 2010), pp. 467-640 AT I, p. 469.
Time travel narratives differ considerably:
explorations of the future, of history or of time travellers' lives;
either elaboration or avoidance of time travel paradoxes.
"Star of the Sea" is history and a paradox.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I esp. enjoyed how the leader of the Batavian rebels and that Roman general agreed on how they would meet for negotiations: at a bridge where the middle section had been removed. So there would be no fear of treachery by either side.
Ad astra! Sean
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