Memories And Time

"The Star Beast."

There is a lot more in this story than we had realized on a first reading.

The Procyonite, Felgi, quizzes Ramacan about some practical aspects of immortality:

"'Don't you have trouble keeping your memories straight?'" (p. 76)

This question is discussed at greater length in some later novels by Anderson. Ramacan and some later characters have their memories edited but it has been suggested in our combox that a brain might just forget chunks of its memories naturally.

"'How about the apparent acceleration of time with age?'" (ibid.)

We usually give our age in years and do not specify additional months, e.g., "I am 76," not "I am 76 and 9 months." Some Asimov characters living well into their second century say, e.g., "I am in my twelfth decade," and leave it at that. To someone who lives for millennia, even the passing centuries would come to seem unimportant. However, Ramacan's reply is unexpected and interesting:

"'That was bad after the first couple of centuries but then it seemed to flatten out, the nervous system adapted to it.'" (ibid.)

- which seems plausible. Nevertheless, the immortals procastinate and feel that:

"'...a day seems too short a time to get anything done.'" (ibid.)

Sf writers anticipate what life might be like in future.