Other Reading, All Relevant

Hello. Yesterday I returned from four days in London. While there, I bought a newly published book on "Imperialism," which brings the story right up to 2026, and finished reading it today. We have read about Roman imperialism in history, in historical fiction and in alternative historical fiction and about Terran imperialism in futuristic sf but there is also modern economic and geopolitical imperialism preparing for its Third World War. 

Before departing, I had begun to reread The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers. On the opening page of this text, we read:

"...the old man turned around to watch the sun's slow descent. The Boat of Millions of Years, he thought; the boat of the dying sungod Ra..."

-Tim Powers, The Anubis Gates (London, 1986), p. 11.

This reminds us, obviously, of Poul Anderson's title, The Boat Of A Million Years.

Hieroglyphs shining from ancient papyrus:

"...were written here in the world's youth by the god Thoth, the father and spirit of language itself."

-ibid., p. 16.

This might remind us of:

"This was Language herself, as she first sprang at Maleldil's bidding out of the molten quicksilver of the star called Mercury on Earth, but Viritrilbia in Deep Heaven."

-CS Lewis, That Hideous Strength IN Lewis, The Cosmic Trilogy (London, 1990), pp. 349-753 AT CHAPTER 10, 4, p. 587.

"For the lord of Meaning himself, the herald, the messenger, the slayer of Argus, was with them: the angel that spins nearest the sun. Viritrilbia, whom men call Mercury and Thoth." 

-ibid. CHAPTER 15, 1, p. 687.

The Boat Of A Million Years is hard sf with a mythological reference in its title.

The Anubis Gates is a hard sf-fantasy synthesis: scientific laws work in some times and places whereas magic works in others.

The Cosmic Trilogy is a soft sf-fantasy synthesis: some beings are both extraterrestrial and supernatural.

(Lewis is hopelessly Platonic: "Language herself"! Human beings created language, not Mercury/Thoth. All meanings are arbitrary. None are "...inherent..." (p. 587))

Power's description of a time traveller's perception of London in 1810 reminds us of Poul Anderson's description of two time travellers' perceptions of London in 1894. Historical sf.