Ideology in Tendrils to the Moon

Tendrils to the Moon has no ideological bent, but the characters do.

The villain, Sheridan, I would class as a post-nationalist, possibly even a transhumanist. Despite being a worldly man, he holds worldly connections in disdain, particularly that of country and family. He has multiple wives, but he has no real affection for any of them, nor for his children.

(By the way, I knew early on that I wanted to give Sheridan multiple wives, because wealthy men in ancient history had multiple wives, and that's the direction I see secular marriage in the West devolving towards.)

Sheridan is very much a universalist. He views his real legacy as that which he leaves to humankind. But that doesn't make him warm-hearted or even kind. He takes the measure and humankind and condemns nearly all of it. He loves it for its potential, not for what it is. He has an ego, but what billionaire doesn't?

Ames is less defined ideologically, but he is kind of a counterpoint of Sheridan. I'd class him as a pragmatist, with default loyalties to his family and to his crew. He resists Sheridan's ideas, but embraces them later as the setting demands a different approach. He slowly supplants Sheridan--and becomes him, in a way--as Sheridan unravels in the second half of the story.

Ames is a little paranoid in the beginning, acting suspicious of Shaun when he first comes aboard the Betelgeuse. He's uptight because this is the first mission he's undertaken with his family present. This brings out his territorial instincts, and the story shows him giving that up.

He is also described as disillusioned with his country, even though he served as a military officer for years and hails from a patriotic family. This disillusionment is covered briefly in two places, and is given as partial reason for his military retirement. Nothing really comes of this. I think it reflects a disappointment in the watering down of nationhood as well as lacking a sense of purpose in his career. He finds purpose in Sheridan's employ, trying to colonize the Moon, but whether he attains a true sense of that purpose in his heart is shown in the book's final act.

Ten years ago I would have tried to make Tendrils to the Moon into a parable, a contest of points of view embodied by these two men. While that can be a useful literary technique, I'm not any good at it. And I think it detracts from otherwise good stories. I developed Sheridan's and Ames's ideologies to give their actions deeper meaning. Ideology is part of the book, but it's not an ideological book. It's there solely serve to flesh out their characters.

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