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A review by flitch
The Psycho-technic League by Poul Anderson
adventurous
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
The Psycho-Technic League, although published in 1981, contains a short story and three novellas from Poul Anderson's earlier published work. These "future history" stories are printed in chronological order and linked together with brief interstitials by Sandra Miesel.
Marius (1957)
Un-Man (1953)
The Sensitive Man (1953)
The Big Rain (1954)
The book begins with World War 3 occurring in 1958. All four stories follow a single male revolutionary, spy, or operative taking action for the betterment of humanity, as their personal ideals perceive it. They are often "more" than human, having been enhanced by future technology. The Institute is developed throughout as a benevolent source of scientific advancement, which occasionally interferes in an attempt to change the direction of human society away from war and tyranny.
Overall I find these stories engaging, although some of the political and social viewpoints are quite dated - which Anderson himself admits in the afterward. The final novella, The Big Rain, is my least favorite, primarily due to the violence and misogyny of the main character. Female characters throughout are shallow, rarely presented as anything more than damsels in distress. Despite this, I find the exploration of a potential future that never came to pass interesting and occasionally possessing of insights about humanity that apply equally well today.
Marius (1957)
Un-Man (1953)
The Sensitive Man (1953)
The Big Rain (1954)
The book begins with World War 3 occurring in 1958. All four stories follow a single male revolutionary, spy, or operative taking action for the betterment of humanity, as their personal ideals perceive it. They are often "more" than human, having been enhanced by future technology. The Institute is developed throughout as a benevolent source of scientific advancement, which occasionally interferes in an attempt to change the direction of human society away from war and tyranny.
Overall I find these stories engaging, although some of the political and social viewpoints are quite dated - which Anderson himself admits in the afterward. The final novella, The Big Rain, is my least favorite, primarily due to the violence and misogyny of the main character. Female characters throughout are shallow, rarely presented as anything more than damsels in distress. Despite this, I find the exploration of a potential future that never came to pass interesting and occasionally possessing of insights about humanity that apply equally well today.
History shows as conclusively as our own equations that freedom is not a 'natural' condition of man. It's a metastable state at best, all too likely to collapse into tyranny. The tyranny can be imposed from outside by the better-organized armies of a conqueror, or it can come from within - through the will of the people themselves, surrendering their rights to the father-image, the almighty leader, the absolute state.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War
Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping
Minor: Abortion