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Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra

(Technic Civilization Saga #6)

Poul Anderson

4.02 · Rating details · 132 ratings · 10 reviews

In the twilight of the Terran Empire, one man exists who can save his empire—and civilization itself—by hook or by crook, whether his “betters” appreciate his efforts or not. Flandry is both a James Bond style agent of empire, and agent-provocateur of change. Flandry is a heroic but tragic figure: a man who knows too much history, who knows that battle and scheme as he wil ...more

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Published by Baen eBooks (first published December 1st 2010)

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Feb 02, 2012 Jay rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is the penultimate book in the Technic Civilization series, which is an omnibus reprint, in chronological order, of most of Poul Anderson's epic Nick van Rijn/David Falkayn/Dominic Flandry stories.

In this volume Flandry, now a forty-ish Captain of Terran Naval Intelligence, continues his struggle to prop up the failing, decadent Terran Empire while still taking time to delight in the pleasures of that decadence. As usual his adventures take him to exotic worlds described in loving (and tech This is the penultimate book in the Technic Civilization series, which is an omnibus reprint, in chronological order, of most of Poul Anderson's epic Nick van Rijn/David Falkayn/Dominic Flandry stories.

In this volume Flandry, now a forty-ish Captain of Terran Naval Intelligence, continues his struggle to prop up the failing, decadent Terran Empire while still taking time to delight in the pleasures of that decadence. As usual his adventures take him to exotic worlds described in loving (and technically consistent and accurate) detail by Anderson, one of the most capable writers of picturesque and evocative English ever. In "A Plague of Masters" Flandry is stranded on Unan Besar, a world of swamp cities and mountain tunnel worlds ruled by an insular and repressive regime who want to keep it that way. In "Hunters of the Sky Cave" he's on an artifical crystal moon of Jupiter, then trapped inside the ice on the surface of Jupiter itself, then streaking to the wild world of Vixen, an old human colony whose eccentric orbit causes massive climatic changes every 18 months, to undo an invasion of aliens. While resting up from that exploit he is called upon to rescue a princess (sort of) from the harem of a local warlord with pretensions of taking on the Empire in "The Warriors From Nowhere." Finally, in the full-length novel "A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows," Flandry is able, barely, to prevent a civil war that could fragment the Empire and leave it at the mercy of the aggressive Merseians, but it costs him dearly.

Woven throughout this collection of stories is the rivalry between Flandry and his great nemesis, the enigmatic and telepathic Aycharaych who seems to be orchestrating the maneuvers of whole empires from behind the scenes. The book ends with their final dramatic confrontation; I won't give away the details, but the fact that there's another book of Flandry stories in this series should give you some idea of the outcome.

As I've said with other volumes in the series, these stories are among the finest tales ever composed in the history of science fiction; why Anderson doesn't seem to be included in the pantheon of Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke is beyond me. Anyone with a pretension to know what good sci-fi is, must read these books at least out of Anderson's collected works. ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Joe Martin rated it really liked it

Shelves: webscriptions, science-fiction, fiction

This book contains three complete Flandry novels. (Books were a lot shorter, in decades past.) Here, collected in one volume for the first time, is The Plague of Masters (aka Earthman, Go Home), Hunters of the Sky Cave and A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows.

The Plague of Masters had an enjoyable setup. Flandry lands on a planet where the air itself is deadly and prolonged exposure will lead to a torturous death. The only hope of a survival is to take a specific drug, every 30 days. It’s not even enough to flee the planet—without a final dose of the drug, you’ll die from the delayed effects of the air. Of course, the planet is under the thumb of a dictatorial group of scientists, who tightly control access to the drug. Anyone whoever stops playing along, stops getting doses. The setup and development of the story is wonderful. The ending is almost confusingly abrupt, lessening what would have otherwise been a very good story.

Hunters of the Sky Cave has Flandry confronting some invaders that he finds personally likable. Unfortunately, in order to complete his mission he has to smash not only their invasion but also their societal structure, just to keep the Terran Empire alive for a few more years. This was a well told story that showed Flandry doing what he does best but also recognizing that his efforts would have limited impact on the larger picture.

A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows is the best story of the bunch. Flandry finds the son he didn’t know he had as well as a woman he can actually love. In the end, he completes his mission but at a staggering personal cost. As the story ends, you know the Empire will live on but you wonder if Flandry, personally, sees any point to it anymore.

These stories are uniformly good because they feature an older, wiser Flandry. He still cracks wise, he still dresses well and loves fine women. He’s still a staunch defender of the Terran Empire. However, he’s increasingly more aware of how decadent, corrupt, and unworthy that Empire is. It’s the best thing going, but it’s failing fast and not even he can keep it together much longer. He does everything he can to push back the arrival of The Long Night, even knowing that everything he does will ultimately prove futile.

That underlying emotional tension drives the stories and forced me to sympathize with Flandry to a much greater degree than I have previously.

...more

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Aug 21, 2018 Phoenix rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: diplomacy, science-fiction-and-fantasy

In Flandry's Field

This is the 3rd volume in Baen Books' republication of Anderson's Flandry series and sixth in the PolysoTechnic Civilization. I read most of these as a teenager and I find that they hold up quite well three decades and a bit later.

In "A Plague of Masters" Flandry uses the latitude granted by his roving commission to take a side trip to the planet Unan Besar, a planet with an environment that is toxic enough that humans need to take a pill every 30 days in order to stay alive. O In Flandry's Field

This is the 3rd volume in Baen Books' republication of Anderson's Flandry series and sixth in the PolysoTechnic Civilization. I read most of these as a teenager and I find that they hold up quite well three decades and a bit later.

In "A Plague of Masters" Flandry uses the latitude granted by his roving commission to take a side trip to the planet Unan Besar, a planet with an environment that is toxic enough that humans need to take a pill every 30 days in order to stay alive. Off the Imperial radar for 300 years, it is now ruled, poorly in Flandry's estimation by an oligarchy of tehnicians known as Biocontrol which controls the manufacture and distribution of the pills. Sensing that a reengagement with the larger Imperial realm threatens the local power structure, Flandry escapes detention, makes contact with the local underground, uses his skills as a storyteller to raise a stake and attempts to foment an uprising. Good characterization throughout, especially Warouw as Flandry's nemesis from BioControl, Luang, a strong female presence who gradually falls for Flandry's charms, Kemul her protector and an intriguing description of a subculture that has constructed a lifestyle living in the branches of giant trees where Flandry seeks refuge.

Next is "Hunters of the Sky Cave", first published in 1959. The first half of the story is IMV under architected. It introduces the Ymir, a race who's empire intertwines both Terra and Merseia, but are non-competitive with each as their natural environment is that of massive planetary gaseous giants. Flandry's constant smoking is a bit archaic and some of the dialog such as our hero exclaiming "great hopping electrons!" seems to come out of a B grade space oater. The action moves from an orbiting space station around Jupiter which has been colonized by the Ymr, to Earth and then to Jupiter itself. Unlike most space aliens introduced by the author, the physiology of the Ymir and their back story are not discussed any great detail. If they were it might explain how Flandry's emergency flare on a planet so large and so recently colonized by the Ymr as Jupiter might have been noticed.

Yet when the action picks up considerably in the second half. Flandry is paired with Catherine Kittridge a refugee from the human colony Vixen which has been taken over by the wolf like Ardazirians. They return to Vixen where Flandry allows himself to be captured in order to find out where the planet Ardazirho is and who is actually behind the invasion, only to come face to face with his old telepathic enemy Archaraych. The story also introduces Flandry's Shalmuan butler Chives for the first time.

"The Warriors from Nowhere" is a throwaway tale that lacks most of the twists and turns that we expect in Flandry's universe. SF is about ideas and there aren't many here, however it's fairly short and Anderson makes good use of Flandry's batman Chives for the denouement.

Finally "A Knight of Ghosts And Shadows" is a full novel. Flandry's illegitimate son Hazeltine who has been working his way up through the Imperial Secret Service brings word that a revolution is brewing on Dennitza, a world that is a mix of human, local and Merseian cultures. He suggest that Flandry purchase a captured Dennitzan slave, Kossara Vymezal, who also happens to be the niece of the local governor/warlord. Together, along with Chives, they travel back to Dennitza, Kossara wedded to the necessity of throwing off Imperial rule and Flandry committed to preserving it. But of course it turns out that Archarach and the Merseians are again hiding in the shadows and pulling all the strings. Determined to put an end to the Cherionite's meddlings and the advantage his race's alliance has given the Merseians, Flandry leads a fleet to Archyarach's home world, only to uncover the ghost in the machine. The story also brings back Chunderban Dessai from The Day of Their Return as a useful plot device for introducing an interesting speculation on the perceived weaknesses of the Terran Empire. One of the best stories in the series with a superb balance of space opera, romance, satisfying conflicts and cultural introspection.

Space Opera at its best!

...more

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Jun 21, 2017 Tom rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: space-adventure

This book deserves more stars for the writing and the story but his treatment of women, espicially in the earlier stuff, is really problematic

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Feb 22, 2017 Jeff Greason rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I seem to be coming to Poul Anderson's great "Technic Civilization" saga from the end rather than from the beginning. I've stumbled on short stories of Dominic Flandry before, but this was my first deep dive. What an evocative author, and for what a setting. I liked the characters and the sweep of the setting; I liked the chess moves between Flandy and his master opponent.

I can't give the book four stars only because of the sweep of our own history. Anderson wrote the saga to run from the heroic ...more

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Feb 12, 2011 Rob rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: random-comments-review

...I must admit that reading Captain Flandry , I had begun to tire of this character. Anderson does use the same basic plot for many of these stories and indeed, this volume contains mostly more of the same. The last novel contained in Sir Dominic Flandry has given me hope that the last volume may contain some more interesting work though. There are two more Flandry novels to go in the next volume, both of them written later in Anderson's career. I seem to like the ones Anderson wrote later i ...more

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Aug 28, 2011 S. Townsend rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Not sure if this is the last of the Flandry stories/novels. If so, Anderson chose to leave Flandry as ultimately a tragic figure who loses everything in the service to the Empire. Still a lot of fun . . . until the sad end

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Dec 26, 2016 Al Lock rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction

Pournelle just consistently writes fun stuff. Well-written, a bit tongue in cheek and fun!

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Jan 29, 2015 Karen-Leigh rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have loved Anderson's Flandry series and reread them often. ...more

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Jul 04, 2013 Adam Meek rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, fiction

Includes A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows, one of the strongest Flandry stories.

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About Poul Anderson

Poul Anderson

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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 a ...more