See In Olga's Landing.
We try to convey the feel of Anderson's descriptive passages and have come close in the above linked post although we omitted some details:
the sky is not just blue but "...clear, deep blue..." (p. 195);
the breeze is cool although -
"It would have been deadly cold before [Diana's] people came to Imhotep" (ibid.);
Mount Horn is twelve kilometers above sea level;
the city holds not only the Pyramid but also the Institute, industries, shops, hotels, apartments and spaceport;
Diana is in the old quarter whose description we have quoted several times before (search the blog for "old quarter" although at least one other such quarter will come up!);
pioneers built in brick and low because of Imhotepan gravity;
in the market, videos show Terran sleaze and a vaz-Siravo dance from the Seas of Yang and Yin;
a gun dealer sells rifles, stunners and illegal Merseian blasters.
Every scene in Anderson's works reads as if the place exists and has not just been created at the stroke of a pen - or on a typewriter or a computer screen. We want to read more but can gain immensely just by rereading.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The highlands of Imhotep were the only parts of the planet where humans could breathe without needing special equipment. Which was exactly the case on Starkad. Tigeries from the lowlands had to wear either special equipment or get the relatively minor surgery needed for wearing oxygills, enabling them to breathe in Terran type atmosphere.
Altho regrettably not mentioned, I'm sure some humans whose business took them to the lowlands often enough had their own "gills," for breathing the atmosphere there. That would be more convenient than wearing helmets with atmosphere adaptors for frequent visits lasting more than a standard day.
Just the idea of trying to adapt to life on a planet with a gravity 30% greater than that of Terra makes me tired! Mention was made of how the descendants of human colonists who had lived for generations on Imhotep had adapted: being stocky, seldom fat, etc. Strong, young, fit off-planet humans wee able to adapt quickly enough to the high gravity.
I have my doubts that many beings from races originating on planets with gravities significantly less than that of Terra's could land on or live well on Imhotep--at least not without special assistance. Of course, beings from races originating from high gravity worlds, like the Wodenite Fr. Axor, would have no problems with Inhotepan gravity.
I recall as well how mention was made of shops in the old quarter of Olga's Landing selling minicomputers from the Inner Empire.
Ad astra! Sean
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