"Prepared by Sandra Miesel, based in part on the chronology published by Poul Anderson in Startling Stories, Winter, 1955." (p. 284)
Anderson followed Robert Heinlein's lead by publishing not only instalments but also a chronology of a future history in an sf magazine. We, in this generation, need to know how much of the Starship Chronology is "in part." I have just ordered Startling Stories, Winter, 1955, on eBay.
Until that arrives, we can continue this discussion. Not all of the stories presented as "Psychotechnic" fit equally well together as a future history series. The appropriateness of "The Chapter Ends" is disputed. I propose three instalments as a framework for the later part of the History:
"Gypsy" introduces the Nomads
"The Pirate" introduces Coordinator Trevelyan Micah
In The Peregrine, Trevelyan joins the Nomads
We accept that, after The Peregrine, the Nomads carry seeds of knowledge through the Third Dark Ages, thus contributing to later civilizations, and we can continue to disagree as to whether "The Chapter Ends" represents one of those later civilizations.
Original publication dates:
"Gypsy," 1950
"The Chapter Ends," 1953
Star Ways/The Peregrine, 1956
"The Pirate," 1968
We expect more from "The Pirate" since it was written later and, in fact, it describes the "hyperdrive" as:
"...tachyon mode [with] only a weak emission of super-light particles..."
-Poul Anderson, "The Pirate" IN Starship, pp. 211-251 AT p. 219.
Starward!
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
That's exactly what I would consider convincing evidence, if that partial chronology of the Psychotechnic stories pub. by Anderson in the 1955 Winter issue of STARTLING STORIES includes "The Chapter Ends." I would have to accept it as belonging to the Psychotechnic series despite it fitting in so poorly with the stories set earlier in the timeline.
Ad astra! Sean
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