Are human beings ready to swarm out into the universe? Will we ever be? This question is the crux of Poul Anderson's
Planet Of No Return,
The Avatar and
The Fleet Of The Stars. Does such a recurrent theme become "same-y" (as some people I have known have used that word)? In many works by Anderson, human beings do swarm out and, by and large, continue to conduct themselves as they have been accustomed to do on Earth. In two short dystopias, they become extinct. In
Genesis, they become extinct but are re-created by a post-organic intelligence. That is a vast body of reflection on mankind and his place in the universe.
(I am just back from Manchester, tired and maybe not about to post much this evening. Think about Anderson's questions and answers.)
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
No, the human race will never be "ready" to swarm out into the universe because men and women will often have conflicting ends, desires, goals, etc. Nor do I really care about us being "ready"--if the opportunity to swarm out comes that's exactly what I hope happens.
People who talk glibly that mankind should stay on this rock till all our problems are solved and everybody are gooey gooey nice are either lying or being hopelessly naive. We are always going to have problems, and we are all imperfect and prone to conflicts, violent or not. That should not stop us from leaving Earth!
I believe Anderson would agree with all of what I wrote above.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I was pointing out that three widely spaced novels address this question, not suggesting a particular answer to it.
Paul.
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