This is a post that is as much for my benefit as for any readers. I'm trying to keep my use of tags consistent and appropriate.
Merchant Navy Authors - authors of books, whether modern settings or science fiction, who worked in the merchant marine.
Merchant Navy Fiction - fictional works that are set on modern (post 1900) merchant ships, or involve merchant mariners.
Merchant Navy Bios - biographies, autobiographies and similar about the merchant marine in a non-fiction setting
Merchant Navy research - mostly links to pages that will help readers and authors understand the real world merchant marine
Science Fiction Merchant Navy research - mostly links to web sites that will help readers and authors see what other people are saying
Science Fiction Merchant Navy - works that are set, or use, or reference a science fiction merchant marine. It's also applied to authors who write books that have a science fiction merchant marine
SF merchant marine background - posts about what a person might expect to see for a science fiction merchant marine.
SF Author - an author that writes science fiction, as opposed to one who is writing modern period merchant marine fiction
Admin - posts like this one
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Friday, August 28, 2015
Author - John Maddox Roberts
Past few days have been busy adjusting to US East Coast time rather than Japan time.
Today the author is John Maddox Roberts. I've only read one of his books, but there is one of his more recent ones on my to read list.
The book that I liked was Space Angel. On Amazon, Basic action adventure story with the characters being the crew of a small tramp starship. What rung true to me was the small crew, and some of the documents that his merchant spacers had to carry.
Today the author is John Maddox Roberts. I've only read one of his books, but there is one of his more recent ones on my to read list.
The book that I liked was Space Angel. On Amazon, Basic action adventure story with the characters being the crew of a small tramp starship. What rung true to me was the small crew, and some of the documents that his merchant spacers had to carry.
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Metaphors for Outer Space
We are dealing with science fiction when writing about a space going merchant marine. There is of yet no space version of the merchant marine, so metaphors are useful for determining how you want things to work.
I see three primary metaphors. First is Space is an Ocean. Second Space is Air. Third is space if boring.
Space is an Ocean
Much science fiction is written about space navies where the basic metaphor and setup for star going craft is model along navy lines as if space if an ocean. For the merchant marine this space is an ocean works fine if the technology supports it. The way I see it, ships will have the look and feel of ships rather than aircraft if the voyage between planets, space stations, etc is long and requires consistent vigilance. You have to have at least one person ready to maneuver the ship at all times for the at least weeks long voyages. You see this in the Honorverse with trips in the few weeks to a few months; Chandler's John Grimes series with similar length trips; and Nathan Lowell's trip of 20 to 60 plus days.
You will have enough crew to stand a watch of 8 to 12 hours a day for weeks on end. You'll have enough other people, especially if you have passengers, to provide services like cooking and cleaning for them for weeks on end. Since this is commercial venture, the crew will be as small as possible unlike the Navy.
Space is Air
There is some science fiction where the metaphor is more like space if like air. In this case the model I see is commercial airlines. The part of the voyage that needs a person at the controls is relatively short - probably under 12 hours. A good example of this is from Star Wars. In the original movie Hans Solo spends a short period of time getting the Millennium Falcon off the planet and into hyperspace. Once in hyperspace there is nothing to do so him and Chewbacca can leave the cockpit and do what they want. Even a large ship might only a crew of 2 or 3 to control it, plus flight attendants to serve any passengers.
Space is Boring
In this scenario there are long periods of travel with nothing to do. The movie Alien is like this, where everybody is in suspension. Other ones might be 2001: A Space Odyssey where it's months of travel with only occasional checks and even rarer adjustments to the course.
I see three primary metaphors. First is Space is an Ocean. Second Space is Air. Third is space if boring.
Space is an Ocean
Much science fiction is written about space navies where the basic metaphor and setup for star going craft is model along navy lines as if space if an ocean. For the merchant marine this space is an ocean works fine if the technology supports it. The way I see it, ships will have the look and feel of ships rather than aircraft if the voyage between planets, space stations, etc is long and requires consistent vigilance. You have to have at least one person ready to maneuver the ship at all times for the at least weeks long voyages. You see this in the Honorverse with trips in the few weeks to a few months; Chandler's John Grimes series with similar length trips; and Nathan Lowell's trip of 20 to 60 plus days.
You will have enough crew to stand a watch of 8 to 12 hours a day for weeks on end. You'll have enough other people, especially if you have passengers, to provide services like cooking and cleaning for them for weeks on end. Since this is commercial venture, the crew will be as small as possible unlike the Navy.
Space is Air
There is some science fiction where the metaphor is more like space if like air. In this case the model I see is commercial airlines. The part of the voyage that needs a person at the controls is relatively short - probably under 12 hours. A good example of this is from Star Wars. In the original movie Hans Solo spends a short period of time getting the Millennium Falcon off the planet and into hyperspace. Once in hyperspace there is nothing to do so him and Chewbacca can leave the cockpit and do what they want. Even a large ship might only a crew of 2 or 3 to control it, plus flight attendants to serve any passengers.
Space is Boring
In this scenario there are long periods of travel with nothing to do. The movie Alien is like this, where everybody is in suspension. Other ones might be 2001: A Space Odyssey where it's months of travel with only occasional checks and even rarer adjustments to the course.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Author - Nathan Lowell
OK, today's post is coming from Fukuko Airport in Japan. I'm on my way home from the ship.
Today's author & series is Nathan Lowell over at Trader's Diary.
http://solarclipper.com/
He has a number of audio books out - Quarter Share, Half Share, Full Share. I've listened to the first book in the series - Quarter Share and liked it. It's available from a variety of sources and format. http://solarclipper.com/get-the-books/ One of the formats is free from podio.
While he apparently hasn't worked in the industry, he does seemed to have done some research and applied it to how his ships work, look and feel. The ship and crew feel like an age of sail merchant ship put into a high tech environment rather than like a Navy ship. The ranks are bit more formal than what I've personally seen, but not so far from what I remember from National Maritime Union contracts in the 1970s.
Today's author & series is Nathan Lowell over at Trader's Diary.
http://solarclipper.com/
He has a number of audio books out - Quarter Share, Half Share, Full Share. I've listened to the first book in the series - Quarter Share and liked it. It's available from a variety of sources and format. http://solarclipper.com/get-the-books/ One of the formats is free from podio.
While he apparently hasn't worked in the industry, he does seemed to have done some research and applied it to how his ships work, look and feel. The ship and crew feel like an age of sail merchant ship put into a high tech environment rather than like a Navy ship. The ranks are bit more formal than what I've personally seen, but not so far from what I remember from National Maritime Union contracts in the 1970s.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Author - David Weber
Today's author is David Weber. His major work is the Honor Harrington / Manticore series. It's loosely based upon the Horatio Hornblower series, but set in not only the far future, but based more on technology that maps more to post US Civil War than UK Napoleonic War.
David Weber has made the merchant marine an important side issue in his books, although the main focus still remains on the Manticoran Navy. David Weber has a good grasp of the strategic and economic importance of a space going merchant marine, but his knowledge of how the real world merchant marine works and is set up, or at least how he writes about it, seems a bit odd from the viewpoint of somebody who has been working in the industry since 1979.
Amazon page for David Weber
http://www.amazon.com/David-Weber/e/B000APBAFE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1440071389&sr=1-1
Amazon page for his Honor Harrington series:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_lbr_books_series_b_4?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ADavid+Weber%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3ADavid+Weber%2Cp_lbr_books_series_browse-bin%3AHonor+Harrington&bbn=283155&ie=UTF8&qid=1440071366&rnid=3275128011
The Honor Harrington series on the Baen website:
http://www.baenebooks.com/c-29-honor-harrington-series-by-david-weber.aspx
I should have more critiques of his works over the next few weeks.
David Weber has made the merchant marine an important side issue in his books, although the main focus still remains on the Manticoran Navy. David Weber has a good grasp of the strategic and economic importance of a space going merchant marine, but his knowledge of how the real world merchant marine works and is set up, or at least how he writes about it, seems a bit odd from the viewpoint of somebody who has been working in the industry since 1979.
Amazon page for David Weber
http://www.amazon.com/David-Weber/e/B000APBAFE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1440071389&sr=1-1
Amazon page for his Honor Harrington series:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_p_lbr_books_series_b_4?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ADavid+Weber%2Cp_lbr_one_browse-bin%3ADavid+Weber%2Cp_lbr_books_series_browse-bin%3AHonor+Harrington&bbn=283155&ie=UTF8&qid=1440071366&rnid=3275128011
The Honor Harrington series on the Baen website:
http://www.baenebooks.com/c-29-honor-harrington-series-by-david-weber.aspx
I should have more critiques of his works over the next few weeks.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Author - Brian Callison
OK, next author.
This one is Brian Callison. He was a merchant navy officer sailing to and from Australia. He wrote 22 novels involving merchant ships. He set his stories from WWII to the 1980s or so.
Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Brian-Callison/e/B001HOVZ2A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1439978469&sr=8-2
This one is Brian Callison. He was a merchant navy officer sailing to and from Australia. He wrote 22 novels involving merchant ships. He set his stories from WWII to the 1980s or so.
Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/Brian-Callison/e/B001HOVZ2A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1439978469&sr=8-2
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Author - A Bertram Chandler
OK, first post. The first author I'm going to mention is A. Bertram Chandler. He was Australian merchant navy Master who wrote science fiction.
The official A Bertram Chandler website:
http://www.bertramchandler.com/default.aspx
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Bertram-Chandler/e/B00JGJGINO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Baen publishing page:
http://baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=abchandler
Baen offers the first quarter to one-third of each book for free online in HTML format.
One of the better fan pages:
http://www.rimworlds.com/index.html
and http://www.rimworlds.com/rimworldsintro.htm
The official A Bertram Chandler website:
http://www.bertramchandler.com/default.aspx
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Bertram-Chandler/e/B00JGJGINO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Baen publishing page:
http://baen.com/author_catalog.asp?author=abchandler
Baen offers the first quarter to one-third of each book for free online in HTML format.
One of the better fan pages:
http://www.rimworlds.com/index.html
and http://www.rimworlds.com/rimworldsintro.htm
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