Wednesday 7 October 2015

Upward And Outward

In two volumes, SM Stirling's Domination of the Draka has conquered all of Africa, then all of Eurasia, and now confronts the Alliance for Democracy, i.e., everyone else. Because there are two more volumes, I really did become concerned that the Draka were going to conquer the whole Earth so I looked ahead on Wiki. Lots of people have read this series before I did so I am not giving away anything when I say that what lies ahead is:

space combat at sub-light speeds within the Solar System;
extra-solar colonization, also I think at sub-light speeds;
travel between timelines.

Thus, the narrative moves away from an alternative World War II and its aftermath to more familiar sf territory and also to possible comparisons with Poul Anderson's "Kings Who Die," Psychotechnic History and Rustum History. Rustum is an extra-solar colony of ideological exiles from Earth. I understand that the Alliance extra-solar colony is a precaution against Draka Domination of the whole Earth.

The sense that these authors address every possibility continues. When I get tired of reading this stuff, I will let you all know!

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Since you looked up THE STONE DOGS and DRAKON, I feel free to comment! Yes, THE STONE DOGS is, in some ways, far more "science fictional" than the two previous Draka volumes. And it ends with the Alliance taking precautions against the Draka conquering and enslaving ALL of mankind.

I've read DRAKON repeatedly and I was convinced Stirling had the action of that book taking place mostly on OUR Earth. But, his comments about how, in his alternate universe novels, he thought it better to introduce a slight difference (as we see in CONQUISTADOR so as to make it too another alternate world, now makes me uncertain.

I've reviewed in my mind which others of the works of Poul Anderson might be compared to THE STONE DOGS and DRAKON. Perhaps the Kith stories and STARFARERS? Because the action takes place using STL technology and we see the rise and fall of civilization after civilization on Earth.

Sean