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| Author | James C. Christensen |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Artisian |
Publication date | 1996 |
Voyage of the Basset is an illustratedchildren's book published in 1996. It was written and illustrated byJames C. Christensen in collaboration with Renwick St. James andAlan Dean Foster. It is about a widowedVictorian era professor, Algernon Aisling, his two daughters, Miranda and Cassandra, and their adventure on a ship called theBasset.
Miranda is sixteen and concerned with being sensible, while Cassandra, nine years and eleven months, likes and believes in magical things. Miranda is outnumbered because Professor Aisling lectures onmythology andlegends at his university, takes Cassandra's side. Majority opinion at the university disparages Asiling's views, Mr. Bilgewallow, in particular.
As Aisling and his daughters walk along the river, they counter a small ship with a crew ofdwarfs andgremlins. One of the dwarfs introduces himself as Malachi, captain of H.M.S.Basset. He says that it is Professor Aisling's ship, conjured from his wishes and ready to sail on the "tides of inspiration". Aisling and Cassandra waste no time in going aboard. Miranda needs a bit more coaxing.
The Aislings meet a number of creatures from mythology that join them on board the ship. They encounter an island offairies, ruled byOberon andTitania. Themanticore, who guarded the entrance of the fairy king and queen, joins them along with asphinx. A number of mythical creatures join the crew and meet others, including aunicorn andtrolls and visit a Wonderfull College of Magical Knowledge.
Aisling still wishes to prove the existence of mythical creatueres to Bilegewallow, and to this end, gets in trouble withtrolls after he steals the skull of adragon. Aisling goes back on this and returns the skull to a living dragon, feeling there is no need to prove existence of magical creatures. The Professor seeks an island to leave all the magical creatures where they can live together. All ends happily.
TheVoyage of the Basset was the source of controversy in 2006. Concerned by one painting which she regarded as suggestive, a resident ofBountiful, Utah, demanded that the book be removed from circulation from theyoung adult section of theDavis CountyLibrary in nearbyFarmington.[1] The Davis County Library Board voted to keep the book in circulation in the young adult section.
The 2001 TV movieVoyage of the Unicorn is based on this book. The adaptation is set in the modern era, with certain elements of the book being altered or removed due to budgetary constraints.
The bookIslands In The Sky byTanith Lee is the first of a series of sequels to the original story. The other books areThe Raven Queen byEllen Steiber andTerri Windling (October 1999),Journey To Otherwhere bySherwood Smith (August 2000),Thor's Hammer byWill Shetterly (December 2000), andFire Bird by Mary Frances Zambreno (June 2001).