Howling People And Burning Books

Dominic Flandry thinks:

that the howling peoples will camp in the ruins of the Empire (see here);

that the barbarians will howl among smashed buildings and the smoke of burning books (see here).

And, in another fictional future:

"...the howling peoples dwelt in smashed cities and kindled their fires with books."
-Poul Anderson, The Enemy Stars (London, 1979), p. 7.

Why all this howling? Is civilization a continual effort to suppress howlers who will one day bring down civilization, smash buildings and burn books? Is that what a policeman thinks when he moves someone on?

Civilization, while it exists, responds both to criminals and to its own critics. If and when civilization collapses, some of the survivors will try to build something better from the ruins - and to preserve books.

Corridors Of Power II

In the following volume of Baen Books' The Technic Civilization Saga, Dominic Flandry rides a grav repulsor from his hovering space yacht to the fortieth flange of the Intelligence tower. It seems that Vice Admiral Fenross' office is on this level. Later, Flandry looks through the clear wall of his own office at the "...slim faerie spires..." (Sir Dominic Flandry, p. 189) of Admiralty Center and reflects on the millions of specialists who live and work there, making the Center a city.

Flandry expects barbarians to howl among smashed buildings, burning books and dead men when the Empire falls (p. 190). In the previous volume, he had anticipated:

"...when the Empire goes under and the howling peoples camp in its ruins." (Young Flandry, p. 381)

Why howl? A mere barbarian assault might have this effect. However, when the Empire does go under, I would expect a lot of people on Earth to set about building something better out of the ruins.

Coincidentally, I read these lines today:

Robert Huntoon to John Constantine: "SHE WAS A NICE GIRL! FROM A GOOD FAMILY AND I WAS GOING TO MARRY HER, UNTIL YOU GOT HER MIXED UP IN ALL THAT SEX AND MAGIC CRAP YOU WERE INTO...YOU RUINED MY WHOLE LIFE..."
-Rick Veitch, Swamp Thing: Regenesis (New York, 2004), p. 46, panel 4.

Flandry thinking about Fenross: How the devil did this feud get started? Is it only that I took that girl...what was her name, anyway? Marjorie? Margaret?...was it only that I once took her from him when we were cadets together? (Sir Dominic Flandry, p. 167)

However, this is all that Constantine and Flandry have in common.