Family Histories

Thanks only to Hloch's Earth Book introductions, we learn how some Avalonian family histories intersect. A short story about David and Coya Falkayn's grandson, Nathaniel, in his youth is written by Emil Dalmady's daughter, Judith, in her old age - and had been published in Morgana long before its eventual inclusion in the Earth Book. Especially for the Earth Book, the stories of David Falkayn on Merseia and of Nicholas van Rijn at Mirkheim were jointly written by Hloch and Christopher Holm who had married Tabitha Falkayn. We infer that Daniel Holm and his son, Christopher, were descendants of the Ivar Holm who had been involved in the colonization of the Avalonian continent, Corona. Poul Anderson conveys much in a few passages and could have made the Technic History a much longer familial and historical saga. Belatedly, Mirkheim presents more background and personal information about the Falkayns, Tamarins and Runebergs back on Hermes and we are also shown three different generations of Kittridges from Vixen. Readers probably forget most of this information because it is so condensed.