From the cover....
Little is known about the first primitive men or the worlds they conquered...
At any one time the inhabited solar systems of our galaxy will exhibit the characteristics of every phase through which a civilization can pass. So it is fitting in this ultimate anniversary of star flight that we should survey a handful of our myriad civilizations -- all contemporary in one sense, all isolated in another -- that go to make up our galactic cluster, our Starswarm. Perhaps in so doing we may not only learn something new about ourselves but also discover at least a hint of what drove the Ancients to launch their frail metal spores into the deeps.
Little is known about the first primitive men or the worlds they conquered...
At any one time the inhabited solar systems of our galaxy will exhibit the characteristics of every phase through which a civilization can pass. So it is fitting in this ultimate anniversary of star flight that we should survey a handful of our myriad civilizations -- all contemporary in one sense, all isolated in another -- that go to make up our galactic cluster, our Starswarm. Perhaps in so doing we may not only learn something new about ourselves but also discover at least a hint of what drove the Ancients to launch their frail metal spores into the deeps.
