Down to the Sea in Ships
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Down to the Sea in Ships |
| Author(s): | ajhall |
| Date(s): | 28 February 2006 |
| Length: | 3339 words |
| Genre: | crossover |
| Fandom: | Mary Renault, Nicholas Montsarrat |
| External Links: | archived on maryrenault LJ community |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
"Down to the Sea in Ships" is a short crossover story by A. J. Hall based on Nicholas Montsarrat's 1951 novel The Cruel Sea, and Mary Renault's 1953 novel The Charioteer. It features an encounter between Lt. John Morell (from The Cruel Sea) and Lt. Comm. Ralph Lanyon (from The Charioteer). The story is set midway through The Cruel Sea, and some time after the conclusion of The Charioteer, at a time when Lanyon has returned to active service.
Synopsis
Returning to his ship, the Compass Rose, after shore leave, Morell finds himself sharing a long train journey with a more senior RNVR officer. Once the ice is broken, they pass the time in shop talk and anecdotes; but each man ultimately reveals more than he thinks.
Background
A.J.Hall wrote a DVD-style commentary to accompany the story, which was posted to the maryrenault LJ community in August 2006 by shezan.
Comments
The story received a number of favourable comments, including the following:
- "This is absolutely perfect, atmospheric, in character, and tantalisingly too short. Like Renault, you stick here entirely to someone else's rather than Ralph's PoV; but the glimpses are all there [...]"—comment made by shezan
- "The sense of place and time is absolutely wonderful. I can see and taste and feel it -- very Mary Renault and very precise. This is something I admire tremendously in historical writing."—comment made by artaxastra