Re: [HBP] Civilization (was: Top H. Beam Piper Quotes)
David Johnson 07 Mar 2024 02:41 UTC
Hi Jay.
> If you look at Pulp adventure stories from the 30s and 40s, native resistance to colonization was framed similarly, barbaric hordes try to violently overwhelm our plucky heroes.
>
> I note Oomphel as a sort of counter point.
That's the conceit of the yarn: Beam turns this trope on its head by having Miles Gilbert figure out a way to stop the Kwanns from "swarming."
But here the real driver for the Terro-humans isn't concern for the well-being of the Kwanns; they need them to keep working on the plantations.
Cheers,
David
--
"Let's see yours. Draw -- soul! Inspection -- soul!" - Foxx Travis (H. Beam Piper), "Oomphel in the Sky"