Sci Fi Book help

Author
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slopes

Original Poster:

38,857 posts

188 months

Saturday 2nd July 2022
quotequote all
Trying to find a book i remember dad having but i can't remember who wrote it.
The basic premise is a guy undercover on a space tug carrying out psyche evaluations of the crew in secret.
The journey starts off with someone found dead in the engine room and it turns out the engineer is a secret agent of the opposition.
The main character has a boss called Oberon who is blind but has a sight box like a bat on one shoulder.
I tried image searching the book cover but no joy so far, ring a bell with anyone?

Tango13

8,470 posts

177 months

Tuesday 23rd August 2022
quotequote all
slopes said:
Trying to find a book i remember dad having but i can't remember who wrote it.
The basic premise is a guy undercover on a space tug carrying out psyche evaluations of the crew in secret.
The journey starts off with someone found dead in the engine room and it turns out the engineer is a secret agent of the opposition.
The main character has a boss called Oberon who is blind but has a sight box like a bat on one shoulder.
I tried image searching the book cover but no joy so far, ring a bell with anyone?
Frank Herbert wrote 'The Dragon in the Sea' which is similar but based on nuclear submarines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dragon_in_the_Se...

slopes

Original Poster:

38,857 posts

188 months

Thursday 25th August 2022
quotequote all
Tango13 said:
slopes said:
Trying to find a book i remember dad having but i can't remember who wrote it.
The basic premise is a guy undercover on a space tug carrying out psyche evaluations of the crew in secret.
The journey starts off with someone found dead in the engine room and it turns out the engineer is a secret agent of the opposition.
The main character has a boss called Oberon who is blind but has a sight box like a bat on one shoulder.
I tried image searching the book cover but no joy so far, ring a bell with anyone?
Frank Herbert wrote 'The Dragon in the Sea' which is similar but based on nuclear submarines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dragon_in_the_Se...
bow

I thought it was space based but it was a long time ago, that is exactly the book i was looking for.
You sir are an absolute legend!!

Tango13

8,470 posts

177 months

Thursday 25th August 2022
quotequote all
slopes said:
Tango13 said:
slopes said:
Trying to find a book i remember dad having but i can't remember who wrote it.
The basic premise is a guy undercover on a space tug carrying out psyche evaluations of the crew in secret.
The journey starts off with someone found dead in the engine room and it turns out the engineer is a secret agent of the opposition.
The main character has a boss called Oberon who is blind but has a sight box like a bat on one shoulder.
I tried image searching the book cover but no joy so far, ring a bell with anyone?
Frank Herbert wrote 'The Dragon in the Sea' which is similar but based on nuclear submarines

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dragon_in_the_Se...
bow

I thought it was space based but it was a long time ago, that is exactly the book i was looking for.
You sir are an absolute legend!!
Glad to help, I need to re-read my copy now.

JohnL586

5 posts

23 months

Thursday 20th October 2022
quotequote all
slopes said:
Trying to find a book i remember dad having but i can't remember who wrote it.
The basic premise is a guy undercover on a space tug carrying out psyche evaluations of the crew in secret.
The journey starts off with someone found dead in the engine room and it turns out the engineer is a secret agent of the opposition.
The main character has a boss called Oberon who is blind but has a sight box like a bat on one shoulder.
I tried image searching the book cover but no joy so far, ring a bell with anyone?
I grew up reading the stuff John Wyndham wrote in the '50s and '60s. I loved his story, The Kraken Wakes, and the twists in The Chrysalids (though I didn't appreciate them at the age of 12). I had completely forgotten that he'd written a sci-fi novel called Re-Birth. I was on holiday in the Lake District, looking for a book to read and came across it in the local Oxfam bookshop. And now I have to say I didn't enjoy it at all. I found it difficult to get into, and the dialogue seemed stilted. The technology was nicely described - it was set in California, in the aftermath of an atomic war, and the survivors had created a sort of socialist society. But I found the characters uninteresting and predictable, and the plot obvious. I guess it's a bit like a John Wyndham book for grown-ups, or something.