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Psychotechnic League #1
The Psycho-technic League
A collection of Psychotechnic League stories.In the beginning was World War III...Out of the flames was born a new civilization, a new humanity dedicated to one world rather than to many nations, to one peace rather than many wars. Never again on Planet Earth would one group of humans "defend" themselves against another group equally convinced that all their actions were "defensive." Never again on Planet Earth.But cycles repeat themselves endlessly; Earth is only the beginning of the human story. Next comes planet against planet, and then the stars themselves. Through it all the impersonal forces of historical necessity will tend to force that story into the pathways of tyranny, stasis, and war. And in the end they must prevail. But ever will humankind win free once more...
285 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
272 people want to read
About the author
Poul Anderson
1,623 books1,110 followersPseudonym 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
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
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 4, 2016
The Psychotechnic League by Poul Anderson is a fix-up novel of previously published, loosely connected stories. This book was published in 1981 but all of the stories were first published in the 50s. The most interesting thing about this collection is that they reflect an early opinion by Anderson that the United Nations, and a subsequent, one world government was a desirable political goal.
Could this have been a reflection of the optimistic 1950s and this then begs the question, what turned his attention later to a more libertarian, Heinleinesque worldview? Like Heinlein, to whom he pays respects in an afterward, this collection demonstrates his concept of a future history type of series. Anderson also introduces the concept of the psychotechnical institutes and psychotechnicity which is similar to Asimov’s Psychohistory.
The other thing this book makes me think is that writers need to eat and I get the impression, especially given the depth and maturity of some of his other works that Anderson was trying to appeal to a wider market. The stories are action oriented, perhaps trying to write a special agent sci-fi series, something that he would have success at down the road.
These are not bad, just not nearly as good as many of his other works. Anderson does produce some thoughtful political and ideological dialogues and the inventiveness and detail of his science fiction remains excellent. By far the best story is “The Big Rain” a Venusian colonist story that paints a stark picture of an emerging totalitarian state.
Could this have been a reflection of the optimistic 1950s and this then begs the question, what turned his attention later to a more libertarian, Heinleinesque worldview? Like Heinlein, to whom he pays respects in an afterward, this collection demonstrates his concept of a future history type of series. Anderson also introduces the concept of the psychotechnical institutes and psychotechnicity which is similar to Asimov’s Psychohistory.
The other thing this book makes me think is that writers need to eat and I get the impression, especially given the depth and maturity of some of his other works that Anderson was trying to appeal to a wider market. The stories are action oriented, perhaps trying to write a special agent sci-fi series, something that he would have success at down the road.
These are not bad, just not nearly as good as many of his other works. Anderson does produce some thoughtful political and ideological dialogues and the inventiveness and detail of his science fiction remains excellent. By far the best story is “The Big Rain” a Venusian colonist story that paints a stark picture of an emerging totalitarian state.
May 10, 2019
A patch it book of sorts from Poul Anderson, which posits an alternate history (actually, it predicted a history far direr than anything that came to pass, so a foreword by Sandra Miesel retconned a short intro to make it an alt-history) wherein a race of highly trained superman attempt to raise humanity out of the insane quagmire that was apparent to all post-WWII.
It's the training that makes them supermen, mind you, which was a common sci-fi trope of the day apparently inspired by General Semantics.
Anderson was a fine writer, of course, even in his early days, though the startling naivete of the worldview feels ironic in his early stories. Here we have a race of highly trained people whose plan is to manipulate world history to prevent a third world war—the inevitable war that was to be humanity's last hurrah, and as real a thing to most people who lived between 1946 and 1991—at all costs.
It's full of knowing ends-justifying-the-means and its most fantastic—though again, common—concept is that the U.N. would be the savior of man from the evils of nationalism. Because if a national totalitarian government is bad, an international one can only be better, right?
Well, certainly by the time the stories are over, Anderson's point-of-view has changed. He even has an epilogue where he confesses that he stopped writing the stories, which he had well mapped out, partly for their really poor predictiveness but also because it was obvious to all that the U.N. was no savior.
Still, not a bad read for what it is, and as he points out, we shouldn't let reality interfere with our enjoyment of stories.
It's the training that makes them supermen, mind you, which was a common sci-fi trope of the day apparently inspired by General Semantics.
Anderson was a fine writer, of course, even in his early days, though the startling naivete of the worldview feels ironic in his early stories. Here we have a race of highly trained people whose plan is to manipulate world history to prevent a third world war—the inevitable war that was to be humanity's last hurrah, and as real a thing to most people who lived between 1946 and 1991—at all costs.
It's full of knowing ends-justifying-the-means and its most fantastic—though again, common—concept is that the U.N. would be the savior of man from the evils of nationalism. Because if a national totalitarian government is bad, an international one can only be better, right?
Well, certainly by the time the stories are over, Anderson's point-of-view has changed. He even has an epilogue where he confesses that he stopped writing the stories, which he had well mapped out, partly for their really poor predictiveness but also because it was obvious to all that the U.N. was no savior.
Still, not a bad read for what it is, and as he points out, we shouldn't let reality interfere with our enjoyment of stories.
November 6, 2014
Found this tucked away in a used book store, and found it to be a surprising little gem. Imagine if The Culture series by Ian Banks had psychohistory from Azimov's Foundation series- all while being an alternate history run off a nuclear WWIII during the 1950s that flows into a space opera. As the author freely admits, it's a little preachy at times- but like the Culture this mostly manifests as driven characters doing dark deeds for what they idealistically hope is the greater good, even as doubt eats them up inside. And honestly that makes for a compelling read. Plus it's a great blend of alternate history, spy thrillers, and scifi. The harsh preterriformed space colonies are particularly well imagined.
July 31, 2024
This is from an era where you would wrap a story around a single science idea. There are enough related stories to bundle into a book. Four stars because I'm nostalgic for that era of SF and some of those hard science ideas would still be fresh even today. For instance, I would like to see Andy Weir ("The Martian") take the kernel of the idea behind "Brake," which is about a spaceship being buoyant in Jupiter's atmosphere, and give us a modern take on it. For someone who didn't read old SF, this probably is three stars at best.
(The copyright of my edition is 1982, but the cover is from the 2011 "second" book in the series. I'm pretty sure it's #1 though.)
(The copyright of my edition is 1982, but the cover is from the 2011 "second" book in the series. I'm pretty sure it's #1 though.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2023
was the only English book at a hostel so had to read it, and thought it was actually really good. interesting future, written in a very thought-provoking and philosophical way. only 4 stars as the final short story was a bit out of place and different from the other stories.
December 24, 2021
-Gregory Kerkman
December 26, 2021
4 out of 5
May 10, 2012
Good sci-fi. Rather than a futuristic look at the UN it is more of an alternate history because the world did not evolve according to the author's plan. Kind of sophmoric or maybe naive view of humans. It is unrealistic to use this universe and expect that sort of conspiracy to survive, with purpose for centuries. The author acknowledges as much in the post script. Also, this is the origin of the phrase, "Who watches the watchmen"
April 2, 2014
This book reflects an early Anderson. All three stories have their versions of his characteristic strong-jawed blue eyed hero with his beautiful and loyal girl, and a side order of the bluff old man or the genius scientist. His vignettes are great as always but don't really add up to a picture of the formation of the league. I'd give it 3 stars for an good but not captivating read.
July 15, 2023
Grade A. Short novel. Book P1.
(See The Complete Psychotechnic League for the 2023 review)
(See The Complete Psychotechnic League for the 2023 review)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews