Google informs us that, in Rome To The Stars by SM Stirling and Melissa Olthoff, to be published on 6 October 2026, the Roman Empire that we know from Stirling's Make The Darkness Light series will expand into the galaxy, encountering advanced technology left behind by an ancient civilization that had transplanted human beings to other planetary systems. Yet more Elder Race activity, maybe.
9 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I recall how I was dissatisfied by THE AVATAR the first time I read it. I thought better of it after reading it a second time, while still considering Caitlin a weak character.
I look forward with keen interest to Stirling's ROME TO THE STARS! Set about 1000 years after Marcus Aurelius' reign?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I don't know the date of the action.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Naturally, because I was only guessing--a thousand years seemed a reasonable period for the Antonine Empire to unify Earth, develop the possibilities of advanced tech and science, colonize the Solar System, and then reach for the stars.
Humans being what we are I'm sure there was plenty of setbacks, intrigue, and skullduggery going on as well during those centuries.
Imperium sine fine! Sean
Well, yeah, Caitlin was a weak character... and a rather flippant one, IMHO.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Absolutely! Daniel Broderson's wife, Elisabet Leino, was a far more satisfactory character. Would it be too cliched thinking Dan had a middle-aged crush on a younger woman?
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: well, human males (the hetero variety, at least) are genetically programed to lust after women in their prime reproductive years.
Which is a surprisingly brief period, in fact -- late teens to late thirties. Though my father's mother was the youngest of 14 children!
I think menopause evolved as a device to promote care of grandchildren.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
There are plenty of exceptions to that average rule about when males lust for women! (Laughs)
A bit surprised by what you said about menopause. My vague understanding was that by age 40 the eggs all women are born with get more and more risky to be used for reproduction. So, menopause was designed to prevent conception.
Ad astra! Sean
Well, most mammals become -less- fertile with age, but don't stop being capable of reproduction. It's like that with human males, but not with females. Our long period of dependency as infants and children probably also has something to do with it.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
This is just my ignorance showing, but I thought menopause is that fairly short period where women become less and less likely to have children, finally becoming unable to get pregnant at all. Many, many men have begotten children over age 50--including my father. But very, very few women at/over that age become pregnant.
Ad astra! Sean
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