Book Name!! (help)

[someguy]

Hello!

I am looking for the title/author of a book I read years ago. I was hoping some fan out there could help me with this.

It is about this guy who crashed his spaceship on this planet. Only on this planet, they are stuck in a 18th century tech phase (cannons, muskets, swords), except there wooden sailing ships fly around (the planet is very mountainous). This guy gets into adventures, and ....well...you get the picture.

If anyone can tell me who wrote this book or what its title is, I would appreciate it.

Thanks alot,

someguy

 

[toriphile]

Wasn't that The Wooden Astronauts?
That's book two of Bob Shaw's Ragged Astronauts sequence.

 

[someguy]

Hey! Thanks for the tip. Problem is I started running down the info, and couldnt find much. Amazon was suprisingly unhelpful, and didnt have pictures for the books (I remember the cover art). Also, the story (based on what I could find) sounds like it might be a little different, but it also might be the same!! Arrgh!

If anyone has a good synopsis of the Bob Shaw books, or a good link (I didnt have much luck on Google), that would be great!

Thanks again toriphile!

(Addendum)

Well, I just found a site and nope, i dont think that is the series I am looking for. The hero in the book I read did not take a balloon, and there was no mention of another planet. The hero in the book i am thinking of crashed a real genuine spaceship. Oh well, thanks anyway toriphile. Hopefully someone will recognize it!

Cheers

 

[Cadfael]

It sounds like The Warlock, In Spite Of Himself by Christopher Stasheff... he crash lands on a planet, but the society is more fuedal that 18th centuary...

 

[someguy]

Well, thanks Cadfael for trying, but that aint it either. The book I read was not medieval. There were flying frigates firing cannons, and no magic whatsoever. I checked out the book synopsis on Amazon... This is getting frustrating. I will keep hoping and waiting.

Thanks again,

Someguy

 

[Hobbit]

The closest I can come up with is King David's Spaceship by Jerry Pournelle, and I don't think that was it, as I can't remember flying ships.

Mike Moorcock's Oswald Bastable series (Warlord of the Air) uses airships, but I don't think that's it either.

John Brosnan's Skyships any good? Again airships rather than flying ships....

You reckon you can remember the cover art, someguy? Describe it to me, it might help!

 

[someguy]

Hey Hobbit!

Unfortunately, it has been YEARS since I read it. I all I really remeber of the cover what a heroic guy, dressed up slightly circa 1700s, with white hair and a short pointy beard. Sorry man, that's it. I guess the only person who is going to answer my question is someone who has the book on a shelf and has read it.

Funnily enough, the post to start this thread was Post #1 for me. I didnt expect to end up a regular here. No look at me! I got fat and lost my hair!!!

 

[Hobbit]

I normally pick up on these ones sooner, someguy!

Unfortunately this one could be a lot of things. I'll keep thinking on it and something may pop out of my cluttered brain.

If you can think of anything else that'll help, add it in!

 

[fortytwo]

It sounds a little like Tatja Grimms World by Vernor Vinge.
In that, the technology had ground to a halt because of a lack of metals on the planet.I think also there was something strange about the planet's orbit so it was perpetually daylight on one side and nightime on the other.
Sorry, thats the only one I can think of.
42

 

[someguy]

Nope, not that one either. No shoratage of metals, as they use swords and cannons on their flying ships of the line.

 

[enazwo]

Here's a long shot Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars series sounds very similar. However John Carter does not crash land a ship on mars he is some how metaphysically transported. However in one of the eleven books he does crash land a ship on one of Mars' moons. Also the inhabitants ships fly and there is much sword play etc, etc, If this is not what you're looking for these Edgar Rice Burroughs books could serve as a very suitable substitude, the very best in old school sci-fi IMHO.

 

[Hobbit]

Actually, you might have something there enazwo....


*still thinking*

 

[someguy]

The book I read just does not fit the Style of John Carter.

Too old-school, quasi Shakesperean speech, and doesnt Carter have lots of women and sex and stuff. Nothing like that in this book.

It's been years, but I definitely remember what it wasnt.

 

[Llama]

Bob Shaw

I suspect you're thinking of Bob Shaw's "Land and Overland" trilogy. The first book was called The Ragged Astonauts, the second The Wooden Spaceships. Your description fits the bill.

 

[someguy]

That was the first thing posted in response to this thread, but that aint it, at least as far as my research went.

 

[Kirby]

Tell me - did the wooden ships fly with the aid of an enormous hot air balloon up top?

 

[someguy]

mmmm...dont remember (it has been 10 years or so)...

I seem to recall something about special rocks or something like that in the hold of the ship doing something, dont recall any balloons. They got into naval battles in the air, so balloons would have made that difficult at best....

 

[kahnovitch]

not sure but.....

When someone mentioned John Carter, I suddenly remembered an old comic by DC comics called "The Warlord". This is a character not connected to John Carter, but a similar concept.
The hero in it was a crashed space pilot who had white hair and a short pointy beard who found himself in a "Lost World" where the technology ranged from swords to firearms and more advanced weapons.
This was of course a comic series, but perhaps was based on the book you are trying to locate.
I've attached a link to the item I'm going on about. It may jog your memory or may be completely unrelated.


http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzingzero/feature1.shtml