The Ship that Sailed the Time Stream -G.C. Edmondson [1965]

Blurb

The Alice was an odd ship in the modern navy: wood hulled, sail powered, and sporting a veritable Christmas tree of metal sensors to detect submarines hanging from her mast. But a freak accident involving an illicit vacuum-still hurtles the vessel back in time, making it...The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream!

Review

In a sense, this book itself is something of a time machine, encapsulating the period it was written in and bringing a taste of the early 1960s to readers in the present day. Between the somewhat dated sensibilities regarding minorities and women, the many and repeated references to the now defunct Bureau of Ships (disbanded in 1966, one year after the book was written and four years before the setting of the book), and a couple of historical inaccuracies that have since become relatively common knowledge, this is a book that has not sailed the time stream very well itself. However, this is not to say that it is a terrible book. Once you become acclimated to the odd quirks and plot holes (just why does that vacuum still actually do anything? I dunno, magic) the time travel plot is actually fairly entertaining. The times and locales visited are fleshed out to a pretty good degree, and it's not often that the Islamic Golden Age or prehistoric Mesopotamia are featured in these sorts of stories. There's not a ton of character development, but by the time the Alice's journey comes to a climax, you're at least familiar enough with the crew to become reasonably involved with their plight as a whole, if not the crew members individually.

As a whole, The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream is entertaining, if not a classic for the ages. A decent time travel story, it addresses some large concerns with time travel that many other similar stories gloss over: food and water are suspect, the language barrier is all but inpenetrable (except for the nearly Daniel Jackson-like linguistic abilities of the historian-turned-naval-ensign main character), and the relative movement of the Earth during time jumps is at least mentioned, if not fully expanded on.

One somewhat unusual recommendation is Time Cat, by Lloyd Alexander, which features a similarly hodge podge time travel plot, although aimed at a much younger audience. Additionally, G.C. Edmondson wrote a sequel in To Sail the Century Sea, though I have not yet had a chance to read it.

In Short

The Ship That Sailed the Time Stream is an entertaining romp through the ages, even if it doesn't quite survive its own trip through time without noticeable aging.

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Yup, output has definitely fallen after classes started. Oh well, at least I'm still ahead 3-0. I guess I'll take this time to catch up on my Alastair Reynolds while awaiting other reviews... :P

The Fall of Hyperion - Dan Simmons [1990]

Blurb

As the Ouster invasion bears down on Hyperion, the six remaining pilgrims must make their way to the Time Tombs for their final confrontation with the Shrike. Meanwhile, Hegemony CEO Meina Gladstone must decide the fate of human civilization while being advised by the seemingly prophetic dreams of Joseph Severn, a cybrid recreation of the dead poet John Keats.

Review
The second book in Dan Simmons' Hyperion Cantos, The Fall of Hyperion is a direct continuation of the story started in Hyperion, though it breaks from the former's distinctive style of Canterbury Tales-esque frame to tell a more traditional narrative. However, this makes it no less engaging, with the scope shifting from the personal tales of the individual pilgrims to the grander scale of the eve of a massive interplanetary conflict and their role in it. The new character of Joseph Severn serves as a link between the pilgrims' ongoing plight on Hyperion and the center of the war effort directed by Meina Gladstone, whose role is greatly expanded in Fall. Both Severn and Gladstone provide fresh perspectives on the already sprawling plot and are welcome additions to the cast. The original pilgrims themselves are thrust into a much more traditional adventure arc and this may disappoint those looking for more of the Chaucerian style from the first book. The multiple plot threads laid down in those individual tales do come together, though, and the interweaving fate of the pilgrims as they resolve their story-lines makes for a worthwhile tale in and of itself.

All in all, Hyperion was probably the better of the two books, though given their intended design as literally two halves of one very large book, this is probably unfair. Not being terribly well versed in the classics of English literature, I had to look up many of the Keats references liberally scattered throughout the book. Understanding these allusions made the experience much more enjoyable, even if it was a little time-consuming going back and forth. A passing familiarity with Keats' works is at least recommended to get some of the references Simmons works in. The obvious recommendation is Hyperion, which you really should read beforehand anyway.

In Short
The Fall of Hyperion is a satisfying second half to Hyperion, and should not be missed by fans of space operas and John Keats alike. But definitely moreso space operas.

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I think not having classes gives me way more free time to write these things (*poke* Fern), but we'll see how long that lasts comes mid September. Also, that's two for two wherein the recommendation is by the same author. I swear, I'll get better at that!