Ex Libris: Sailing the Dark Seas of Space

I distinctly remember this music video by the Smashing Pumpkins, based on the 1902 short film of French director George Meiles "Trip to the Moon" or La Voyage Dans La Lune. A first of its kind, this film drew inspiration from Jules Verne (From the Earth to the Moon, 1865) and H. G. Wells (First Men in the Moon, 1901) and showed Victorian-era scientists trooping into a rocket ship and traveling to the moon-- complete with bowler hats, petticoats and parasols.

It was this video (or movie, actually) that drew me to Bob Shaw's award-winning book, The Ragged Astronauts. Of course, how can I not think of that when it's main feature is traveling between two planets courtesy of a hot air balloon? Granted, there isn't a Victorian in sight but I'm getting ahead of myself...

The first book of the Land trilogy-- which comprises The Ragged Astronauts, The Wooden Spaceships, and The Fugitive Worlds and which I found in a used bookstore-- this is the story of a kingdom of humans trying to survive on an alien planet populated by floating plants deadly to human touch. Unfortunately, since the planet lacks metals, the massive deforestation of the planet's timber (which is stronger than steel) has set off an ecological disaster that could wipe out the humans on the planet.

But there is hope: hanging huge off the horizon is another planet so close its atmosphere touches theirs. Now they only have to get there...

This is also the story of Toller, a soldier and engineer of the kingdom. He's big, he's short-tempered, he's good with his fists. But he's also on the smart side, when he's not clobbering anyone he doesn't agree with. Assigned the task of the first flight to the other planet on a hot air balloon after incurring the royal ire, Toller hopes to survive the flight but at the same time, is excited about it. What will happen when their balloon hits the midway point between the two intertwined planets? And if they make the flight, will they be able to pull of the great migration?

Veteran-science-fiction-fan-turned-writer Bob Shaw has written an adventure tale of man's first trip to space-- from an well-wrought alien planet. An engineer and a journalist before he became an SF writer, Shaw's prose is workmanlike: no frills and verging almost to being dry. At the same time, Shaw can write harrowing scenes that can raise the reader's hackles: for me, it was an accident during Toller's first flight, when one of his crew-members fell out of the balloon.

Of course Shaw plays fast and loose with the physics of the novel (pi is equal to three?) but he makes it sound all good to the reader's ear even as he creates the vivid images of a fleet of hot air balloons rising into the air. All in all, quite a page-turner of a book.

Too bad this under-rated author has passed away without finally realizing the accolades of his years of writing.

Good show, Mr. Shaw!