Orion Shall Rise
Orion Shall Rise is a science fiction novel by American writer Poul Anderson, published in 1983. It is part of his Maurai series. Premise. The novel is set several hundred years after a devastating nuclear war which has pushed back the level of technology. The action focuses on four societies: Other nations mentioned include Angleylann, divided into small statelets including Devon, Italya, the confederation of the Alemanns in central Europe, the Zheneralship of Espanya in the Iberian peninsula, Corodo and Meyco to the south of the Northwest Union. Brief mention is made of Benghal, part of the  Brahmard confederacy mentioned in other Maurai stories, and an extremely patriarchal society located in Khorasan. The novel follows a group of characters as they navigate tensions between several of the nations. The title derives from the Orion project, which one of the factions intends to resurrect. The world depicted is full of historical paradoxes and apparent anachronisms, due to unequal economic and technological development in various regions and continents, and the inability of the resource-depleted world to fully use technologies which were retained or re-discovered.