How many times has the Earth Fallen?

[BentonHeath]

Been re-reading the entirety of Gemmells works and looking at the links between the different worlds/books. I know it’s nothing new with the revelation that many of the books are meant to be set on earth at different times of history, past and future, but I have been thinking and wondering a lot about the chronological order of the books from the perspective of “Earth Falls”, which seem to occur every 11,000 years or so.



Given that I was wondering what the consensus was on the order? For my own thoughts:

Atlantis Era

Modern Era (our own)

Shannow Era

Drenai Era



That does leave Echos of the Great Song, which could be part of the Atlantis era, pre Atlantis, or a post Drenai future era?



Not saying I’m right, just interested in opinion?

 

[Brian G Turner]

That does leave Echos of the Great Song, which could be part of the Atlantis era, pre Atlantis, or a post Drenai future era?

That's the interesting thing about it - it could be any period. And welcome to chrons.

 

[SilentRoamer]

I always thought it was Pre-Atlantean and that the Fall had precipitated the rise of Atlantis. Following Gemmells theme that we have lost something to the past which our current technology only strives towards.

I may be misremembering this as well but wasn't the Fall caused by Shannow and it was hinted that there was only one Fall but it happened simultaneously in various timelines. I am sure I remember Jon Shannow in the Titanic and that's where the book hints at it.

I think my Gemmell rereads are well overdue!

 

[BentonHeath]

I always thought it was Pre-Atlantean and that the Fall had precipitated the rise of Atlantis. Following Gemmells theme that we have lost something to the past which our current technology only strives towards.

I may be misremembering this as well but wasn't the Fall caused by Shannow and it was hinted that there was only one Fall but it happened simultaneously in various timelines. I am sure I remember Jon Shannow in the Titanic and that's where the book hints at it.

I think my Gemmell rereads are well overdue!

Yes, I think you are onto something here however I can’t make it work completely. So Shannon sends the sword of god (the bomb), back through the portal, this certainly causes the fall in the Atlantean and the modern eras. There is no link though that I am aware of to a fall that I guess occurs after Shannow era that results in the Drenai era. Drenai is certainly in the future of now though as in the Swords of Night and Day there is strong reference to a satellite (eagles egg), which powers the joining technology. Doesn’t mean to say that the portal that sends the bomb causing the fall doesn’t open up into all eras every 11,000 years, it’s just that this bit at the end is wild theory?! Maybe there is a reference somewhere to everything being in a cycle with links between each?

 

[G.T.]

I'd agree with Echoes being pre-Atlantean, there are no references to previous empires, falls etc that I can recall. Also, there is an absence of sipstrassi, which would indicate it was pre-sipstrassi meteor.

The logic behind the lack of magic in our own time is that Galead (in Last Sword of Power) removes all the magic from the land, leaving only that which was underwater which reappears later when the world topples. Perhaps the meteor caused a cataclysm and the races from before either left via portals or died out. A sipstrassi comet is mentioned in Last Sword of Power, so who knows how often bits might be falling to earth, it's not mentioned again in other books I think.

 

[BentonHeath]

All replies make sense to me. I just think it’s great how so many books are interlinked one way or another. It makes me wonder (hope) that Gemmell had some sort of chart on his wall that mapped it all out from Echoes to SoNaD, assuming these are the first and last of the order.

Thanks for all the replies.