Anderson's work is awash in historical themes. Tiger by the Tail is, at first glance, a parallel to the decaying (I would use "decadent" but its original denotation as "decaying" as been connotated into "pleasurable": look for "decadent chocolate") Roman Empire confronting barbarian humanoids. The story takes an unexpected twist as intelligence officer Landry destroys the barbarian alliance with careful manipulation. The parallels to Roman/barbarian interaction are well done and historically accurate in the parallel; the Romans never developed faster than light spacecraft.
His short story "Duel on Syrtis" really captures the tragedy of the last of the off-reservation Indians in a future context.
No comments:
Post a Comment