Monday 27 April 2015

Niche

Poul Anderson, The Boat Of A Million Years (London, 1991).

"That humidor of yours...'" (p. 335)

A humidor is something to do with cigars but what exactly? I had to google.

"'...in Anatolia when the Osmanlis overran it...'" (p. 342)

Ottamans yes but I am having trouble with "Osmanlis." (See also here.)

Hanno finds an eternal bureaucrat content to remain such, keeping the records, guarding civilization, moving from city to city, changing his identity, never drawing attention to himself, removing any clue to his longevity, writing letters of recommendation for his future self. Hanno wants to do something with his immortality but the bureaucrat is content just to be immortal like an everlasting light bulb never needing replacement. I suppose that, among all the fictional immortals, there must be one like that.

The novel could have continued indefinitely with the historical exploits of known immortals and the occasional discovery of new immortals but, unfortunately, none of Poul Anderson's works was able to continue forever.

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