The Ragged Astronauts

The Ragged Astronauts

First edition cover
Author	Bob Shaw
Cover artist	Alan Brooks
Language	English
Series	Land and Overland
Release number	1
Genre	Science fiction
Publisher	Gollancz
Publication date	1986
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (hardback)
Pages	310
Awards	BSFA Award for Best Novel (1986)
ISBN	978-0-575-03639-0
OCLC	59196211
Followed by	The Wooden Spaceships

The Ragged Astronauts is a novel by Bob Shaw published in 1986 by Gollancz. It is the first book in the series Land and Overland . It won the BSFA Award for Best Novel.

The novel is set on the fictional twin planets of Land and Overland, which happen to share the same atmosphere. Land is running out of resources due to overexploitation, and its authorities are planning a mass migration towards Overland. The process is complicated by rioting and an ongoing global pandemic.

Plot summary

The Ragged Astronauts is a novel in which people can use a hot-air balloon for interplanetary travel between twin planets that share the same atmosphere. ^[1] The feudal residents of Land have to migrate to the nearby planet of Overland due to overexploitation of resources on their homeworld. The story is told from the perspective of nobleman Toller Maraquine who clashes with a military Prince before and during the chaotic evacuation accelerated by rioting and a global pandemic.

Reception

Dave Langford reviewed The Ragged Astronauts for White Dwarf #81, and stated that "Pi, in this book, equals 3. Therefore the universe isn't ours, the gravitational constant is different, and physicists will kindly pipe down." ^[1]

Reviews

• Review by Chris Morgan (1986) in Fantasy Review, September 1986
• Review by Dan Chow (1986) in Locus, #309 October 1986
• Review by Don D'Ammassa (1987) in Science Fiction Chronicle, #96 September 1987
• Review by Orson Scott Card (1987) in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, November 1987
• Review by Paul Kincaid (1987) in Foundation, #38 Winter 1986/87

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Result	Ref.
1986	BSFA Award for Best Novel	Won	[2]
1987	Arthur C. Clarke Award	Nominated	[3]
1987	Hugo Award for Best Novel	Nominated	[4]
1987	Locus Award for Best Science Fiction Novel	25	[5]

References

1. Langford, Dave (September 1986). "Critical Mass". White Dwarf (81). Games Workshop: 16.
2. "Previous BSFA Award winners". British Science Fiction Association . Retrieved 26 December 2022.
3. "Arthur C. Clarke Award 1987". Science Fiction Awards Database . Locus. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
4. "1987 Hugo Awards". World Science Fiction Society. Archived from the original on 7 May 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
5. "Locus Awards 1987". Science Fiction Awards Database . Retrieved 26 December 2022.