Anderson (World 16)
Poul Anderson
Poul Anderson (1926 – 2001; first SF publication, 1947) is one of those whose work I will grab solely on the basis of the author; I haven’t been disappointed yet. His novels don’t depend on deep philosophical queries (although he includes that from time to time); they are simply great reads. Anderson’s most well-known settings are the Polesotechnic League and the world of Dominic Flandry of Terran Intelligence, but he has created many other worlds. Time travel is key to some of his other most memorable works, including
The Dancer from Atlantis
and
The Corridors of Time
.
Nicholas Van Rijn, star-faring trader extraordinaire. When I first started considering favorite authors who write about trading through space, Anderson’s Van Rijn leaped to the front of the line. Who couldn’t love the protagonist of The Man Who Counts (both by counting money and in importance), a man who epitomizes what Star Traders is all about? And now that I’m researching Anderson’s works to complete this brief bio, I am embarrassed to note one other title that I’m gonna have to track down quickly: Trader to the Stars (about Van Rijn, of course), plus a recent compilation of stories about Van Rijn’s most adventurous employee: David Falkayn: Star Trader .
Venusian Sweet Savor
Van Rijn’s company is the Solar Spice and Liquors Company, which, like Van Rijn himself, is a throwback to the Dutch merchant adventurers of the Age of Exploration. I was figuring on simply having Anderson export generic Solar Spice, but his family gave several other suggestions, including Venusian Sweet Savor. That works for me!