Wednesday, 26 November 2025

Historical And Cultural Differences Between Time Patrol Members II

We know almost nothing about later civilizations in the Time Patrol timeline which are there only as part of the background for Patrol missions into the past. We are told that an Era of Oneness precedes the Danellians and that the internal Patrol investigator, Guion, coming from a later and higher civilization, might know enough about the Danellians to be terrified. 

An optimal civilization would have difference without division and unity without uniformity but "Oneness" is ambiguous. At worst, it could mean enforced uniformity. A further novel could have been written upending everything that we thought we knew about this fictional universe. After all, do the Danellians employ Nazis to ensure that the Holocaust occurs on schedule? The Patrol agents that we see do not (seem to) know anything about that but what else is going on?

Two posts so far this morning and maybe an interlude.

4 comments:

S.M. Stirling said...

Well, someone from early dynastic Egypt would have a rough time trying to cojmprehend us. Why would we be able to comprehend future civilizations?

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Excellent point.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!

Both: Exactly, if Guion knew enough about the Danellians to be frightened, that's more likely to make me suspicious and distrustful of these "post-humans."

Paul: There's never going to be an "optimal" civilization, short of the Second Coming. Because the innate flaws and imperfections all humans have will be reflected in their civilizations.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Disagree. I think that there CAN be, not that there necessarily WILL be, a much better civilization. We have discussed "innate flaws and imperfections" like forever.

Paul.