Customer Reviews

The Wind Whales of Ishmael (Ace SF, 89237)

Phil Farmer has cleverly used historical and fictional characters in many of his stories. This novel propels Ishmael of Moby Dick fame from the mast of the ship Rachel, sailing the South Seas in 1842, into the far, far future of Earth. Farmer attributes this "time travel" experience as a consequence of looking at the cryptic carvings engraved upon Queequeg's coffin. Additional references to Moby Dick show up throughout the story. Ishmael is saved from drowning by a providential appearance of the harpooners coffin and on several occasions he ponders about Ahab and his obsession with The Whale.

Ishmael find himself in a future with a swollen red Sun, oceans evaporated to the point where islands appear to be mountains and the primary means of travel are lighter than air ships that rely on sails and air bladders. Ishmael quickly established himself as a warrior leader and after disposing several kinds of vicious predators gets a kingdom and the girl.

To be honest this is a minor Farmer work; light and pleasant reading. I would recommend this book for some interesting comments about the idol cults Ishmael must contend with to win over the confidence of the natives. Farmer almost always works some perceptive observations pertaining to religion into his books and this one is no exception. Readers looking for some deep analysis of Moby Dick will be disappointed.