A Planet And A Faith

There are two agendas in The Earth Book Of Stormgate. First, Poul Anderson is gathering together the remaining Polesotechnic League and Ythrian stories. Secondly, Hloch informs us in his general introduction that:

"This is the tale, told afresh, of how Avalon came to settlement and thus our choth to being."

-Poul Anderson, The Earth Book Of Stormgate (New York, 1978), p. 14.

Then why include "The Season of Forgiveness," which is set neither on Ythri nor on Avalon and does not feature anyone involved in the colonization of Avalon? Hloch has an answer for everything:

"Hloch includes it, first, because it shows more than the usual biographies do of a planet on which Falkayn had, earlier, had a significant adventure. Second, it gives yet another glimpse into a major human faith, alive unto this year and surely of influence upon him and his contemporaries." (p. 126)

Amen to that. Christmas preparations here.