Sunday 10 September 2017

Meanwhile...

(Thor's hammer.)

This lap top is nearly dead and will be replaced with a new one when the shops open tomorrow. There may then be a delay in getting the new lap top set up. While not using a computer, I have visited Leighton Moss bird sanctuary and have attended the Wandering Wain Heathen Moot in the Royal Hotel, Heysham. At the moot were the former secretary and the former treasurer of the Association of Polytheist Traditions which I linked to here. Small world. The former treasurer had set up the altar at a camp which I visited recently. Smaller world.

The future histories referenced in the post, 2044 x 10, are:

Heinlein's Future History;
Asimov's I, Robot;
Blish's Cities In Flight;
Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles;
Anderson's Psychotechnic History;
Anderson's Technic History;
Niven's Known Space future history;
Pournelle's CoDominium future history;
Stirling's Emberverse.

Other Anderson future histories deserve to be in this list but they do not give dates which was the point of this particular comparison. By coincidence, Stephen Byerley became the first World Co-ordinator and the first High King of Montival, Artos, died in the same year, 2044. In that period, there were, in different timelines, an American theocracy, a ban on spaceflight, the colonization of Mars, a UN world government etc.

While reading SM Stirling's The Golden Princess with its strong Japanese connection, I have again been drawn back into rereading Ian Fleming's Japan-based novel, You Only Live Twice (see here), and therefore have also reflected on two Japan-themed Sean Connery films, You Only Live Twice and Rising Sun.

I will strive to be better focused in future but right now am cramming as many observations as I can into a single post before the lap top switches itself off again.

Onwards and upwards!

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Dang, I misunderstood your "2044 X 10" blog piece! I did not even think of Blish's cities in flight stories or Bradbury's THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES.

And were these neo-pagans you met either "hard" or "soft" polytheists? And Asatrua "reconstructionists"?

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,
My main informant said that the hard/soft debate has receded a bit. He has also said that he regards the Aesir as existing although not exactly as described in the Eddas. Yes, Asatru.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I would actually have more SYMPATHY for the "hard" side of this debate, because I simply can't take seriously "gods" which were merely "aspects" of a "greater reality." If I want neo-Platonism, I would rather have it straight from Plotinus' ENNEADS.

Sean