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And Never The Twain Shall Meet...; What novels tie the different parts?
Topic Started: Dec 14 2007, 05:45 AM (1,246 Views)
El Ronin
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I was thinking about the beginning of Cyteen in the description of the Union / Alliance balance and how Earth Company in losing the stars in one direction, went off in a different direction and ran into trouble.

Was the Mri/Regul that trouble? While I know that the Faded Sun Triology is part of the U/A universe, there is nothing that TIES it to it that I've seen.

Also, I am not sure, but aren't the Chanur novels also part of that universe?

I'm not sure how they all fit together or if they or part of the same universe but not only snapshots in space, but in time so that the events of one part can never reflect in the events in another. Thoughts?

p.s. Nadiin. If I have erred, and placed this post in the wrong section, please let me know.
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bayside
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That "trouble" was the alien Compact of the Chanur books. I think the Compact is mentioned explicitly later on in Cyteen during one of those "non-fiction" sections concerning Union's constitution or the post-war period (?).

There is a timeline at the back of Angel with the Sword (hardcover pp 263-5) that covers events in that book, The Faded Sun books, 40,000 in Gehenna, Serpent's Reach and Brothers of Earth. Briefly:

2623 Alliance Union contact with majat
2658 First Gehennan reaches Fargone
2701 First Alliance contact with regul and mri
2703 Mri wars begin
2743 Mri wars end
3187 Hanan break from Alliance, begin 1000 year struggle
3141 Massacre of the Meth-marens of the Hydri Stars

I like your description of the whole set of books as a series of distantly related snapshots--one surmises this is just what the author intended, unfortunately for the curiosity of some of us here. Cyteen II may answer more questions however!

bayside
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starexplorer
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Quote:
 
I think the Compact is mentioned explicitly later on in Cyteen


If I'm not mistaken (and I just reread it, so I'm reasonably certain), the Compact is never mentioned explicitly in Cyteen, but very clearly implicitly. I forget the exact wording, but it is to the effect of "what was found on the other side of Earth" or maybe "the troubles Earth ran into on its far side". That's a paraphrasing from Cyteen, but gives the gist.
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Surtac
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El Ronin,

Bayside is correct. The Compact is explicitly named in Cyteen, in a 'history' of Union-side politics, as the source of Earth's 'trouble' at the far side of known space. In fact the same discussion allows us to set an upper bound for the timeframe of the events in the Chanur books.

The timeline given in Angel With The Sword also explicitly ties the Mri Wars into A/U history in its discussion of the Alliance Security apparatus set up by Mallory, as well as another mention of the transition of Pell's administration from the Konstantins to the Dees - which latter point I think also gets a mention in Cyteen.

Btw, you have posted the query in the appropriate forum. :atwink

:invert
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starexplorer
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I'm unable to find that reference 'tac. Where did you see the Compact mentioned explicitly as "The Compact" in Cyteen?
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Surtac
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Star-ji,

It's page 316 in both the hardcover and the NEL (British) trade paperback, just before the start of Chapter 8. It's one of the 'hidden gems' I was referring to in the current Babbler thread.

:invert



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selden
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It's on the same page (316) in the 1988 Warner hardback edition.
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starexplorer
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Very odd. Its on p. 396 of my 1988 Warner hardback edition. :HB:

But thank you for pointing it out, 'tac-ji and selden-ji!
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Chia

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I had to go hunting but I found it.

The Godess :cherryh: herself has a link to the Alliance Union time line with more data than you can find in all the books together.
http://www.cherryh.com/www/chrona1.htm
(or go to her home page, then to library)

I will say this does take some of the fun of piecing it together yourself, but at the same time provides plenty of fodder for thought.
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hrhspence
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Wow, that is quite extensive.
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starexplorer
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The list makes me sad. It reminds me of my disappointment at age 15 when I realized things were progressing far too slowly and I would not be spending my adulthood exploring other solar systems.

Her timeline is too soon, by a wide margin. :(
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Surtac
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Quote:
 
Her timeline is too soon, by a wide margin.

And not just Hers, sadly. As a wide-eyed 12yo watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968, I was convinced that the human race would be solidly in space and permanently on the Moon by the turn of the millennium. Lost innocence, I suppose.

I am reminded of a verse from a wonderful Andy Prieboy song (as performed by Concrete Blonde):
Quote:
 
Underneath the chilly gray November sky
We can make believe that Kennedy is still alive and
We're shooting for the moon and smiling Jackie's driving by and

They say 'good try'
Tomorrow Wendy is going to die
Tomorrow Wendy is going to die


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starexplorer
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Great lines Surtac-ji, great lines. I think we may have shared a childhood.
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Surtac
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I think we may have shared a childhood.

It seems that we may be widely dispersed triplets. Mule has already concluded that he and I were separated at birth. And I had already agreed that we were twin sons of different mothers.

I have no problems believing myself one of triplets in this context. :cheers

:invert
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Aja Jin
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Surtac,Dec 15 2007
01:56 AM
And not just Hers, sadly.  As a wide-eyed 12yo watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968, I was convinced that the human race would be solidly in space and permanently on the Moon by the turn of the millennium.

I was 10 and thought the same. Sad thing is, we could have been. :doh
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