Looking for an old science fiction book
July 7, 2012 6:48 AM Subscribe
I am looking for a book. It's apparently about a boy who falls through a door / portal and travels through time - maybe forwards, maybe backwards - to Wales. It probably has a female author. Any help appreciated.
Probably teenage fiction. Published before 1985.
Probably teenage fiction. Published before 1985.
Yeah, I was thinking that it sounded like A String in the Harp as well.
posted by Paragon at 7:03 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by Paragon at 7:03 AM on July 7, 2012
Just double-checking that you aren't referring to one of The Dark Is Rising books in which Will travels back in time while in Wales.
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:04 AM on July 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:04 AM on July 7, 2012 [3 favorites]
Or, rather, has a -vision- that goes back through time. *Ahem* Pardon my misquote.
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:05 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:05 AM on July 7, 2012
Response by poster: I don't believe it's the Dark Is Rising novels, which I have read. It turns out Wales is fair filthy with time travelling kids.
posted by Neale at 7:07 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Neale at 7:07 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Do you remember anything else about the book? There are definitely tons of "boy falls through portal and time travels" books enough to throw off a search, besides the surplus of Welsh settings.
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:10 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by DisreputableDog at 7:10 AM on July 7, 2012
It sounds extremely Diana Wynne Jones, although I can't think of the specific book -- she has many involving Wales, time travel, portals, etc.
posted by pie ninja at 7:11 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by pie ninja at 7:11 AM on July 7, 2012
I'm fairly certain I remember this--did the cover show him literally falling through a door in space?
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:20 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:20 AM on July 7, 2012
Response by poster: I will try to acquire more details overnight.
posted by Neale at 7:24 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by Neale at 7:24 AM on July 7, 2012
I am sure what PhoB's remembering is The Forgotten Door, but it's a telepathic kid and he ends up in America.
posted by restless_nomad at 7:27 AM on July 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by restless_nomad at 7:27 AM on July 7, 2012 [2 favorites]
Oh dang, I'm no help then (but thanks, r_n, that's exactly what I was thinking of).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:43 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 7:43 AM on July 7, 2012
Could it be Madeleine L'Engle's A Swiftly Tilting Planet?
posted by Constance Mirabella at 8:16 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Constance Mirabella at 8:16 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Constance Mirabella's suggestion is a good one: A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:42 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by MonkeyToes at 8:42 AM on July 7, 2012
Howl's Moving Castle has a chapter set in Wales.
posted by PussKillian at 9:00 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by PussKillian at 9:00 AM on July 7, 2012 [1 favorite]
Tomorrow's Magic by Pamela F. Service?
posted by Lemmy Caution at 10:03 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by Lemmy Caution at 10:03 AM on July 7, 2012
It sounds like elements of both The Forgotten Door and A Swiftly Tilting Planet.
posted by erst at 10:23 AM on July 7, 2012
posted by erst at 10:23 AM on July 7, 2012
Was it perhaps The Third Magic by Welwyn Wilton Katz? The time-traveler is a girl, but one of the important POV characters is a boy.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 2:04 PM on July 7, 2012
posted by Nibbly Fang at 2:04 PM on July 7, 2012
On the off chance it was Ireland, not Wales: The Wizard Children of Finn.
posted by Chrysostom at 2:47 PM on July 7, 2012
posted by Chrysostom at 2:47 PM on July 7, 2012
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for your suggestions, I'll see if any of them match up and get back to y'all.
posted by Neale at 4:05 PM on July 7, 2012
posted by Neale at 4:05 PM on July 7, 2012
Longshot, but The Owl Service?
It's a generational time-loop rather than standard time travel, but it does fit the teenage fiction set in Wales before 1985 criteria.
posted by the latin mouse at 5:05 AM on July 8, 2012
It's a generational time-loop rather than standard time travel, but it does fit the teenage fiction set in Wales before 1985 criteria.
posted by the latin mouse at 5:05 AM on July 8, 2012
Heh, I was going to toss Alan Garner's name into the ring as well, though with Weirdstone. And there are a bunch of other possibles... Waiting for update.
posted by likeso at 5:58 AM on July 8, 2012
posted by likeso at 5:58 AM on July 8, 2012
This is a very likely contender, and also a great book:
The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch (1951)
Twentieth century Peter Staunton makes a fair stab at being fourteenth century Peter de Blois when he is suddenly transported back in time to the castle Carreg Cennen. These are dangerous times in the Welsh Marches as the Welsh still fight against their Norman overlords.
posted by Melsky at 8:21 AM on July 8, 2012
The Gauntlet by Ronald Welch (1951)
Twentieth century Peter Staunton makes a fair stab at being fourteenth century Peter de Blois when he is suddenly transported back in time to the castle Carreg Cennen. These are dangerous times in the Welsh Marches as the Welsh still fight against their Norman overlords.
posted by Melsky at 8:21 AM on July 8, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by corb at 7:00 AM on July 7, 2012