בס ד" Science-Fiction Newsletter Vol. XIII, No. 8; August, 2001 In Memoriam – Poul Anderson 1926-2001 It’s very difficult for me to write about At one point he sent me some questions Poul Anderson having died. about Hebrew relevant to a book he was When I was a Master’s student at finishing ( Starfarers , 1998) which had, among Berkeley, California, in 1959, I was a member of others, an Israeli heroine (200 years from now), a science fiction club there, “The Elves’, but most of my replies reached him after the Gnomes’ and Little Men’s Science Fiction, galleys were all ready, so most of my Chowder and Marching Society (Berkeley suggestions did not get into the book. Cell)”, known as the “Little Men” for short. One Nevertheless he listed me in his of the other members was writer Poul Anderson, acknowledgements. I wrote Poul and told him already well known. Not only did Poul come to that I was glad to see that he thinks there will meetings regularly, but some of the meetings still be an Israel in 200 years. Poul replied as were even held at his house in Orinda, over the follows (30 April 1997): hill from Berkeley. Thus I also made the "Actually, although the story acquaintance of Poul’s wife Karen, and his involves ten people from different parts daughter Astrid, then three years old. of the world, there's little ethnicity Poul was a very friendly, generous about any of them. I assume that in person. He would talk cheerfully with everyone. another 200 years or so, global He had his quiet opinions, but always listened communications, etc., will have pretty respectfully to the opinions of others. well wiped out such distinctions -- at After I left Berkeley and moved to least among the high-tech, cosmopolitan Silicon Valley, I didn’t get to meetings in types who'd be involved with a space Berkeley very often. But – happily – the “Little mission. Men” occasionally had a meeting in Palo Alto, "This in turn, of course, and he came, so I still saw him from time to implies that high-tech civilization will time. still be around by then. I don't know. Once I left the Bay Area, I had no Nor do I know whether there will still contact with Poul for years. be a state of Israel or, for that matter, However, when I started the Rehovot sf a USA -- though if the latter does club, in 1989, I wrote him and asked him for survive, I do doubt very much that advice, and he wrote back and gave some will then be a republic in anything but suggestions. I modeled the Rehovot club after name. Quite likely the American the “Little Men”, including having refreshments Caesar has already been born." at every meeting. He was always fair, kind, considerate After that, we had an occasional mail and helpful. When I wrote him he always correspondence. answered, no matter how busy he was, and if He recommended that when I come to his answer was delayed a few weeks, he California I go to BayCon, a local sf apologized. A very fine person. convention held in San Jose, California. He I can see his face in front of me, both said that it was much preferable to going to a from BayCon where I saw him last, and from WorldCon, being a small, intimate convention the "Little Men" back in the early sixties. I where one could easily meet and chat with thank him for the nice things he said to me, friends. Indeed, when I was at BayCon, about and wrote to me, and for the fine books he 1995, Poul spent most of his time sitting in the wrote. sf is flourishing in Israel, and I had restaurant, nursing a beer, surrounded by some small part in that, and he encouraged me friends, and chatting. As for “intimate” – well, in that too. BayCon had two thousand guests, which is By the way, he once said something much smaller than the usual U.S. WorldCon like this, "The best work I ever produced was (6,000) – but not what I would call “intimate”. Astrid." At that time she was three years old. But for Poul, sitting in the restaurant with I haven't seen her since that time. Astrid is now friends, that’s just what it was. married to excellent sf author Greg Bear, and they live in Seattle, Washington. CyberCozen 1 Vol. XIII, No. 8; August, 2001. בס ד" Review of a Book by Poul Anderson by Aharon Sheer The Long Way Home by Poul Anderson (1955), 188 pages. After learning that Poul had died I Other planets around other stars have spotted this in the Paperback Gallery bookstore. been colonized. Because of the long time I hadn’t read it in 40 years, so I couldn’t resist. required to go from one planet to another (even It’s typical Anderson sf in that there is both a at light speed), each of the planets is scientific idea as the basis, and social independent, and each has developed its own commentary. Early in the 21 st century a method life style. A planet around Alpha Centauri, the of instantaneous transportation is discovered. closest star to earth and only four light years But there are technical problems in directing it away, has a feudalistic society. Either you accurately. A robot spaceship is sent out to own your own land there, or you work on Pluto. Although it apparently gets there someone’s land. There they still have nature instantaneously, it misses Pluto by a considerable and out-of-doors. There are still horses that distance, and it takes quite a long time to find it. one can ride. But even this planet has not Then a small manned spaceship using the new, avoided stagnation. It is one of the few that untried technology, is sent to explore distant still have regular contact with earth. stars. Three astronauts visit planets around stars The third society is one of interstellar as far as 1000 light years from earth, travelling traders – called the “Commercial Society”. altogether 5000 light years. But when they get They travel between stars instantaneously, but back to earth, they discover that they are 5000 years have passed by the time they get there, years in the future. The technology is well and years more before they go home. So really known in this future; it seems that the trip is their society is each other – those that they instantaneous to those inside the ship, but in fact travel with on their ships. No long-term the ship makes its trip at the speed of light. On contact is possible with planet dwellers. This the test trip to Pluto they had thought that there form of life sounds more congenial to was some inaccuracy in locating their target, but astronaut Langley. While the Society mostly it seems that Pluto had simply moved…. limits itself to about a hundred light years of Now comes the social comment. The travel, there is still the possibility of taking off hero of the book, astronaut Ed Langley, finds in unexpected directions, exploring new much to comment on. The future earth has worlds. tens of billions of people, living in huge towers Naturally, discussions with people of and in underground warrens. The higher your the future provide Anderson with the social status, the higher up you get to live. The opportunity to give his opinions – in the mouth lowest levels are inhabited by the Commons, of his hero. Here is a discussion with an earth who have an IQ of about 90. The highest historian: levels, the Ministerial class, have an IQ closer “The universe is bigger than to 150. As travelers from the past, the we are,” [Langley] said. “We can astronauts are up high in the towers. Earth is always find something new out there, run by an enormous computer, fair but always make a fresh start.” unimaginative. Cloning (not called that in the “Are you thinking of the lost book), and genetic engineering, provide colonies?” asked [historian] Mardos. identical, strong, capable police, guards and He snorted. “…they were only soldiers, all of whom look alike. The status of people who couldn’t make the grade women is low. A well-to-do man can purchase at home and tried to escape. I doubt if an intelligent woman slave, one who has been they did any better out there.” engineered and conditioned to be the perfect [Langley replied] “[Take] the companion and servant, happy with her duties Americans themselves, my own and her man. Ex-American Langley is not people. Some of them were religious happy with this future earth. dissenters who couldn’t get along Science, Anderson tells us, has with the churches at home. Some of discovered everything there is to know. Art them were deported criminals. The and music and literature have long been later immigrants were mostly repeating themselves. “Back in the Twenty- impoverished bums, some few first Century, masters’ theses about the liberals who didn’t like what was commas in Shakespeare had still been a subject happening in Europe. And yet this for humor – today the equivalent was a matter bunch of malcontents and of course.” (p. 151) “For the ordinary man, Commoners took over half a instability – change – means dislocation, war, continent, gave republican uncertainty, misery, and death.” (p. 152) government its first real start, led the parade in creating industry and CyberCozen 2 Vol.