Mirkheim

Future History of the Polesotechnic League

by Poul Anderson

A star explodes. And a billion years later, a galaxy explodes in war. When the heavy metal ruin of Mirkheim is discovered at the edge of Known Space, the gigantic planet becomes the center of a war that is fought in all the far reaches of Earth's dazzling and corrupt empire. This epic adventure of the end of a thousand-year civilization sweeps from hyperspace skirmishes in the radio glare of dark suns, to the bloody deals in the corridors of Earth itself, where the stars are traded like coins.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Collections

216 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Pseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.

Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.

Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]

Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.


Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry

Reviews

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite the end of the adventures of David Falkayn and Nicholas van Rijn. But close. It may even be their descendents that carry on the tales, though I don't recall exactly. I do know that this has a lot of allusions to earlier tales of theirs.

But it opens with the discovery of the title planet. Rediscovery, actually. Intelligent beings are mining it for the super-elements that it contains, spawned by a long ago supernova. This means trouble. The companies of the far future have fallen, on the whole, into two groups: the Home Companies, doing crony capitalism but good on Earth, and the Seven in Space that ignore them. Nicholas van Rijn leads one of the diminishing independents.

It brushes on the story of Sandra (from The Man Who Counts) and her adventures after having van Rijn's son and leading to her becoming the Grand Duchess. And then trouble strikes. The Baburites, hydrogen-breathing aliens, demand control of Mirkheim. Sandra's efforts to claim it for Hermes to protect the original entrepreneurs causes conflict and the occupation of her planet. Back on Earth, van Rijn reassembles David Falkayn, Adzel, and Chee Lan to look into things -- even though Falkayn left after his first child was born, this is too important.

It involves the questions of how the Baburites built their navy so well, escaping with news, trying to take a captive, rescuing the miners from Mirkheim, van Rijn's son meeting him, and much more

[Matt Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but not really good; disappointing for a Poul Anderson work.

Pros: dynamic female characters in active roles, complex politics involving governments, corporations, and syndicates, decent aliens

Cons: infodump-heavy, obsession with tobacco smoking, dreadful dialogue

Worst of all, it's really quite boring.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10. Media de los 14 libros leídos del autor: 6/10.
Otro autor clásico bastante prolífico y cuyas novelas, en general, entretienen.
Esta se queda en la media, sin ser de las mejores. La que más me gustó fue "Tiempo de fuego", con 8/10.

[L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little low on the science; more about political intrigue. Not quite my cup of tea, but it's still serfviceable.

[Aja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of all of books I have read on this #pursebooks adventure, this one is the best. Political, real aliens, and all kinds of intrigue to keep you busy.

[Breanna McLeod · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really hard to start and really hard to finish I wonder if it would have been easier if I had read the other books that involve the same characters if there are any

[Gr1972 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

I expect better stories from Anderson. This book was disjointed, depending on previous novels in the series. And mostly boring

[Sffgeek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only 3 stars for a Poul Anderson? I'm afraid so. I've loved his Polesotechnic League stories with van Rijn and Falkayn for decades; and I've been saving / putting off reading this one for years. It's the last in the series, but unfortunately it's not the best. Anderson is determined to set up the events which lead to the end of the League and the formation of the Terran Empire (for his Flandry series, previously written). So the puzzle solving and wheeler-dealing which were so great in the earlier stories only really come to the fore when the story takes flight in the last few chapters.

Only read this as the last book of the Polesotechnic League series, after you've enjoyed the great earlier books, and want to hear how the threads all tie up.

[Actually, most new readers will find this as the first part of the anthology "Rise of the Terran Empire", but it should really be the last part of "David Falkyn-Star Trader".]

[Karen-Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure if I have read these out of order but Rijn has an adult son by Duchess on Hermes. War has come to end the civilization as known by David Falkayn who is now married with two children. Chee and Adzel are going home and Rijn is taking Muddlin' Through out to try to patch here and there to keep things going a while longer. It is such a depressing ending. One man with a cause brought about the end and slowly the dominos are falling. The Polesotechnic league has split and everywhere there is chaos.

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most interesting premises I've encountered in my epic scifi spree. A planet composed almost entirely of trans-uranic island of stability elements. If you think platinum is expensive... Story is a little weak, but a good meditation on the different conceptions of wealth across cultures.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book I didn't think it would be compelling, but Anderson has a way with characters and stories and I loved it.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

1978 Grade B. Book B6.
2014 Grade B.

The Prolog is quite dull and can be skipped. The rest is good but a bit tedious to read in places that are too preachy, philosophical, or descriptive.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Falkyn, Van Rijn et all.. good read if a bit flat at the end

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I had read the preceding stories I might have found this more interesting. Oh well. Some creative aliens. Lots of space politics.

[Tell Tale Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Gregory Kerkman

[Anthony Faber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last of David Falkayn & Nicolas Van Rijn. Whew.

[Polifemo]

La Tierra ha establecido colonias interestelares y existe un continuado contacto con los extraterrestres. El imperio terráqueo está bajo el gobierno decadente de la capitalista «Liga Polesotécnica», formada por grandes compañías. Nicholas van Rijn dirige una de las más poderosas y su nieta está casada con David Falkayn, héroe de «El mundo de Satán». Pero el viejo orden agoniza. La «Liga Polesotécnica» está colapsada y surgen poderosos rivales que amenazan su predominio.