Trying to Remember an Author

[Malloch]

I read these books in middle school. My reading teacher was giving away a bunch of old books and I saw these sci fi books that looked interesting. I read the first couple I think, but there were atleast 6. The basic Idea in the first book was a guy who was a space freighter pilot was taking a rather motly crew of passengers somewhere. His name was Nate or Nathan I believe. He was 90 somthing but only looked in his 40's because of a renewel process that pilots went through. anyway. they end up at this planet that is actually a test for some omnipotent race that experiments with creation and apparently created all the races in the universe. I also remember vaguely that when they went down to the planet, they had to go through an inproccesing of sorts which decided which race they got stuck as on the planet. So if this sounds familiar to anyone let me know please.

[Deadlokd]

Star Trek?

Elderly Captain. Check.
Away missions. Check.
Motley group of passengers. Check. (Especially Neelix. He was very mottled.)
Strange aliens playing with humans. Check.

[Malloch]

Oddly I've never read any of the star trek books. On the other hand I do own almost every star wars book in existance. Albiet in electronic format. Alas neither are the author I am seeking. I may have to go dig through the basement to see if I still have the books.

[Deadlokd]

Sorry, on a more serious note, it doesn't ring any bells.

[chunksmediocrites]

I've only read one of the books in this series but I am going to guess Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls series, the first book of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls:

Nathan Brazil is the captain of the interstellar freighter Stehekin. While transporting three passengers, Captain Brazil receives a distress call from an uninhabited planet and makes a detour to investigate. There, they find the remains of a research team murdered by the rogue scientist Elkinos Skander in order to conceal his discovery of how to control Markovian technology. While exploring the planet, they are inadvertently transported to the Well World, where they must track down Skander and his equally brilliant and insane pupil. In addition, they must deal with being changed into bizarre alien creatures.

It says paperback in '77 but they re-released this series under newer covers in the late '80's.

[Qingdai]

Really? It sounds like something you have on the shelf, dear.

M.A. Foster "The Warriors of Dawn," then again I have a crappy memory.

[chunksmediocrites]

No, there are some minor similarities but the rest of the details don't fit.

If Gameplayers is an Orwellian political thriller, The Warriors of Dawn is space opera — the main character is even named Han, although it was published before Star Wars. Centuries after the first novel, humans and Ler have colonized the stars. Han and a Ler woman are sent to investigate rumours of a “lost tribe” of Ler who are marauding through a remote sector of space.

This book is one of three loosely connected novels. If Malloch had read more than one novel he would have mentioned aspects of The Gameplayers of Zan or the ler, which reads totally differently from his OP description.

Now I am jonesing to find out if I was right about it being the Well of Souls series.

[godfry n. glad]

I know you...you're the kid with your glasses taped together at the bridge.

[Malloch]

Originally Posted by chunksmediocrites

I've only read one of the books in this series but I am going to guess Jack L. Chalker's Well of Souls series, the first book of which is Midnight at the Well of Souls:

It says paperback in '77 but they re-released this series under newer covers in the late '80's.

YES!!! thats it I even remember the title now!! You are awesome! now if I could only remember where I put the books....

[Malloch]

WellMidnightSmall.jpg



Woot! wow this brings back memories.

[godfry n. glad]

You both are.

[chunksmediocrites]

Originally Posted by godfry n. glad

I know you...you're the kid with your glasses taped together at the bridge.

Actually never tried to tape a bridge on my glasses, and never broke the bridge- I did as an adult have a pair of horn-rims with a very neat 2mm wide duct-tape repair on one hinge edge of the front, and this current pair of glasses had a staple-wire subbing in as a hinge for a number of years.

And yes I read a lot of sci-fi / fantasy, my brother was ten years older and left a box of books which kind of got me started, he had Dune, Le Guin's Earthsea Trilogy, Asimov's I, Robot, Heinlein's Starship Troopers, he had all 12 of the Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, and I think he might have had Ringworld by Larry Niven.

I read other things as well, but I loves me some decently written sci-fi and fantasy- Neal Asher, Patricia McKillip, Sheri S. Tepper, Iain M. Banks, Vernor Vinge, Tim Powers, Ursula K. LeGuin, George R.R.Martin, Gene Wolfe, Kage Baker, David Marusek, Jim Butcher... and that's the living ones.

[Qingdai]

What does that say about me? I should carry tape for my husband's glasses, perhaps?

[chunksmediocrites]

I broke weak and went to a place here in Stumptown called Periodicals Paradise and combed their sci-fi/ fantasy section (all books $1) and found a copy of Midnight at The Well of Souls which I am now reading when I should be reading that stack of library books.

[Qingdai]

Look it'll make a lovely secret Santa gift, or baby showering. I support your support of the economy.