The Technic Civilization (On Serial Matters)

I first came across the Technic (Or is it Techic? I'm seeing two spellings now...) Civilization series of Poul Anderson in the early 1960's with a battered paperback of Trader to the Stars, a series of stories about the irascible Nicholas Van Rijn. A few years later I found a hardcover collection (The Trouble Twisters) about a trading team in the same universe. The hunt was on, luckily roughly coinciding with new installments and reprints, and I was soon immersed in this vast universe.

Baen Books undertook a unified edition a few years ago and we're approaching the end of the run (a run, alas, marred by the economy and stupid "book buyers", read the folks at the big boxes who make purchasing decisions, somehow deciding the series would do better as trade paperbacks rather than a solid run of hardcovers; how I wish the series was a nice solid set of hardcovers from end to end!). I had started reading the series again a few years ago, but Real Life (TM) ran that train off the tracks, so I have begun from scratch again and hope to read the series through by the end of the year.

Cycles, it is all about cycles. And the people that try to break out of the cycles. In the first phase, humanity expands through the universe, exploring and trading. But things fall apart. Some try to break out of the cycle and start a new society. Overall, the dark comes upon us. An empire rises, expands, but stagnates. Some try to beat back the oncoming rush of night, but eventually the empire collapses. The galaxy turns, a new page turns, and a new society rises.

An optimistic tale? A pessimistic one? You decide.

Wonderful characters, wonderful stories, a grand sweep, fantastic (and funny) dialogue, a galaxy of stars. Good stuff and I'm glad to see it back to hopefully entertain a new generation.

Poul Anderson; The Van Rijn Method (Baen Books; September 2008; ISBN 978-1-4165-5569-2; cover by Dave Seeley).

Made up of: Planets and Profits: Introducing Nicholas Van Rijn and the Polesotechnic League (Hank Davis); Introduction to The Saturn Game; The Saturn Game; Introduction to Wings of Victory; Wings of Victory; Introduction to The Problem of Pain; The Problem of Pain; Introduction to Margin of Profit; Margin of Profit; Introduction to How to be Ethnic in One Easy Lesson; How to be Ethnic in One Easy Lesson; Introduction to The Three-Cornered Wheel; The Three-Cornered Wheel; Introduction to A Sun Invisible; A Sun Invisible; Introduction to The Season of Forgiveness; The Season of Forgiveness; Introduction to The Man Who Counts; The Man Who Counts (novel); Introduction to Esau; Esau; Introduction to Hiding Place; Hiding Place; Chronology of the Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel); Appendix I: The Original Version of The Margin of Profit; Appendix II: The Man Who Counts and the Technic Civilization Series (Sandra Miesel).

(Sources that I have found these stories in before include The Earth Book of Stormgate, The Man Who Counts, The Trouble Twisters and Trader to the Stars. I even read on in Boy's Life when it first appeared in that magazine!)

Counts as twenty-five (25) entries in the 2009 Year in Shorts. Rebooted: Counts as ten (10) entries in the 2011 Year in Shorts.

Poul Anderson; David Falkayn: Star Trader (Baen Books; January 2009; ISBN 978-1-4165-5520-X; cover by David Seeley).

Made up of: High Profits and High Adventures (Hank Davis); A Historical Reflection; Territory; Plus Ca Change Plus C'est La Meme Chose; The Trouble Twisters; Day of Burning; The Master Key; Satan's world (novel); A Little Knowledge; Lodestar; Afterword to Lodestar; Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).

Poul Anderson; Rise of the Terran Empire (Baen Books; June 2009; ISBN 978-1-4391-3275-5; cover by Bob Eggleton).

Made up of: Descent into Empire (Hank Davis); Mirkheim (novel); Introduction to Wingless; Wingless; Introduction to Rescue on Avalon; Rescue on Avalon; Introduction to The Star Plunderer; The Star Plunderer; Introduction to Sargasso of Lost Starships; Sargasso of Lost Starships; The People of the Wind (novel); Afterword to The People of the Wind (Sandra Miesel); Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).

Poul Anderson; Young Flandry (Baen Books; January 2010; ISBN 978-1-4391-3327-1; cover by David Seeley).

Made up of: Enter a Hero, Somewhat Flawed (Hank Davis); Ensign Flandry (novel); A Circus of Hells (novel); The Rebel Worlds (novel); Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).

Poul Anderson; Captain Flandry: Defender of the Terran Empire (Baen Books; February 2010; ISBN 978-1-4391-3333-6; cover by David Seeley).

Made up of: Acknowledgment and Introduction (Hank Davis); Outpost of Empire; The Day of Their Return (novel); Tiger by the Tail; Honorable Enemies; The Game of Glory; A Message in Secret; Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).

Poul Anderson; Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra (Baen Books; December 2010; ISBN 978-1-4391-3401-4; cover by David Seeley).

Made up of: Enter Hero and Adversary, Accompanied by Alarms and Tumult (Hank Davis); The Plague of Masters (novel); Hunters of the Sky Cave (novel); The Warriors from Nowhere; A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows (novel); Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).

Poul Anderson; Flandry's Legacy (Baen Books; April 2011; ISBN 978-1-4391-3427-8; cover by David Seeley).

Made up of: Unwritten introduction by Hank Davis (NYA); A Stone in Heaven (novel); The Game of Empire (novel); Tragedy of Errors; The Night Face (novel); The Sharing of Flesh; Starfog; Chronology of Technic Civilization (Sandra Miesel).