An Alternative History Of Dominic Flandry

Right at the end of the original version of Poul Anderson's earliest written Dominic Flandry story, "Tiger by the Tail," Flandry tells the queen of a conquered species:

"'I suppose the [Terran] Empire is decadent. But there's no reason why it can't some day have a renaissance. When the vigorous new peoples such as yours are guided by the ancient wisdom of Terra, the Galaxy may see its greatest glory.'"
-Agent Of The Terran Empire (London, 1977), p. 36.

Of course, anyone who says something like this might simply be mistaken. Thus, the author, if incorporating this story into a "future history," would be under no obligation to write a "renaissance" into later episodes of the history. Nevertheless, anyone reading "Tiger by the Tail" as a one-off story is inclined to accept that, other things being equal, some kind of renaissance leading to greater galactic glory does lie in the future of these characters.

When Anderson not only wrote an entire Flandry series but also did incorporate this series into a future history, he rationalized the history with a theory that did not allow for any later renaissance and Flandry's naively optimistic speech about vigor guided by wisdom was omitted from the text of the revised version of "Tiger by the Tail." Thus, potentially, we have here two alternative future histories of Dominic Flandry.

Anderson underlines the difference between the two futures with an addition to the revised text. When the queen remarks that the Empire is not so bad if it has men like Flandry in it, Flandry, in the revised version, thinks:

"No...it's worse off..."
-Captain Flandry (Riverdale, NY, 2010), p. 276.

This thought, which he diplomatically keeps to himself, does in fact reflect what the Technic Civilization History tells us about subsequent events in Flandry's life time and later.

Continuity In The Flandry Series

The opening trilogy of novels, written later, is carefully constructed so that it is fully consistent both internally and in relation to the remainder of the Flandry series.

In "Tiger by The Tail," (January, 1951) Captain Dominic Flandry sabotages the barbarian Scothani empire.

In "Honorable Enemies," (May, 1951) Captain Flandry, described as "'...the single-handed conqueror of Schothania...,'" learns how to lie to the telepath, Aycharaych. (Poul Anderson, Agent Of The Terran Empire, London, 1977, p. 62)

In "The Warriors from Nowhere," (1954) Captain Flandry, who has a superior called Admiral Fenross, a Shalmuan servant called Chives and a private spaceship not yet called the Hooligan, prevents the secession of the Taurian Sector from the Terran Empire.

In "The Game of Glory," (1958) Captain Sir Dominic Flandry learns how to lie to a telepath (details in "Honorable Enemies") and travels alone in "...a high-speed flitter..." to the planet Nyanza, where he prevents a rebellion. (Flandry Of Terra, London, 1976, p. 13)

In "Hunters of the Sky Cave" (1959): Flandry has come Home from Nyanza; Aycharaych congratulates him on l'affaire Nyanza; Flandry's superior is Vice Admiral Fenross; Flandry still has Chives and a private spaceship, now called the Hooligan.

In "A Message in Secret,"(1959/1961) Flandry has no private spaceship and must travel as a passenger.

"The Plague of Masters" (1961) is a direct sequel to and fully consistent with "A Message in Secret."

In A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows, (1975) Flandry again has Chives and the Hooligan, works to prevent rebellion in the Taurian Sector and opposes Aycharaych - for the final time.

I am pressed for time today but will comment on the above soon.