Page "Childe Cycle" Paragraph 2

While, on the face of it, the Childe Cycle is a science fiction series, it is also an allegory.

In addition to the six science fiction novels of the Cycle, Dickson had also planned three historical novels and three novels taking place in the present day.

It is known that one of the three historical novels would have dealt with John Milton, the author of Paradise Lost.

Judging from the frequent mentions of him in the published science fiction portion of the Cycle, Sir John Hawkwood, a 14th century mercenary, would probably have been the subject of another.

At least one of the contemporary novels was expected to deal with issues of space colonization, beginning a thread continuing through Necromancer and concluding with the full formation of the Splinter Cultures.