First, although he had originally introduced the Merseians as standard sf pulp villains, he later presented the integration of beings of Merseian descent into the political and economic life of the human colony planet, Dennitiza. See:
A Powerful Anti-Racist Statement By Poul Anderson
When Dominic Flandry and Kossara Vymezal enter the Dennitzan Parliament as part of an ychani (Merseian) demonstration and delegation, Flandry knows that his only certain ally in the Parliament is Merseian by descent.
Secondly, Anderson introduced the Ythrians as primarily alien and different: flying carnivores, therefore territorial, therefore possibly waging a war for territory. Surprisingly, Avalonian Ythrians welcome large numbers of human beings, flying with antigravity belts, into full membership of choths. If there was ever any opposition to such recruitment, then it has been left far behind between instalments.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Or, just as likely, it's possible not all choths on Avalon accepted human recruits or members.
Ad astra! Sean
Note that race is a -social- reality. It doesn't correspond to anything objectively real. If you -walked- between areas, physical characteristics changed slowly. Europeans developed the concept of 'race' when they suddenly sailed to the ends of the earth, and even then it took a while.
The first European visitors to China noted that southern Chinese had complexions like Moors, whereas central and northern Chinese had complexions like the French and Germans. They didn't attach any particular importance to that, though.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I was reminded of how I've seen photos of the Kuang-hsu Emperor of China (died 1908) who looked very similar to Europeans, esp. he had been wearing Western attire.
Ad astra! Sean
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