Indiana Jones und das Schiff der Götter

Indiana Jones #2

by Wolfgang Hohlbein

1939, in der Nähe von Grönland. Ein amerikanisches Forschungsschiff entdeckt einen riesigen schwimmenden Eisberg - und auf ihm den halbverrückten Wissenschaftler van Hesling. Einige Monate später macht sich ein internationales Forscherteam von New York aus in einem gigantischen Zeppelin auf den Weg, um das Geheimnis dieses Eisbergs, genannt Odinsland, zu lüften. Und natürlich kann man bei einer so gefahrvollen Expedition auf die Teilnahme des Archäologen Indiana Jones nicht verzichten...

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy

380 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1990

About the author

Wolfgang Hohlbein is a German author of science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction who lives near Neuss, North Rhine-Westphalia. His wife, Heike, is also a writer and often works with her husband. She often comes up with the story ideas and therefore is generally credited as co-author. Their daughter, Rebecca, is also a writer.

Writing short stories since age 15, Hohlbein was first recognized as an author after sending in a manuscript he and his wife had written at a fantasy and science fiction writing contest in 1982. They won and their book, Märchenmond (English title: "Magic Moon"), was published by Ueberreuter Publishing, soon becoming a bestseller and winning several awards. It is one of their greatest successes till today.

Many of his more than 200 books are translated and published in many European countries as well as in South Korea. Yet for many years none of his works had been translated into English. In 2006, Magic Moon was translated into English and published in the United States.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Indiana Jones book was batshit crazy (and I mean that as a compliment!)

It has:
- Indiana Jones in an iditarod race!
- Racism! (Against both an Eskimo and Jewish person)
- A War Blimp!
- Nazis! (With some interesting shades of morality!)
- Vikings!
- Indiana Jones dressed up as a Viking!
- Viking...madness!

A must read, my nerdy friends.

[Deveny · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was a trip

[Suden Käpälä · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this back when it was published, and I was an avid Indy enthusiast. And it entertained the living daylights out of me.

I loved the ice, the blimp, the tension, and the not-fully-black-&-white German officers in this novel. (The latter is something I later came to expect, even from entertainment: that the 'bad guys' at least have a bit more motivation than just being evil. And that they themselves don't see it that way.)

As to negative sides to this book, I only remember this: not understanding Quinn's part in the story. From a narration POV, why was he there? His huskies didn't get to do much - or did they? Perhaps I remember wrong. And of course, not firing Checkov's gun is not always a bad thing.

With his Indiana Jones series, Hohlbein came to be my favourite writer for a number of years to come during the early 1990s. Even though he was not allowed to use any of the other characters from the films, he created compelling companions and antagonists for Indy (or that's how I felt, some decades ago).

I still wish to revisit Hohlbein's writing, one day soon. I wonder if his stories would still thrill me as much as when I was an adolescent. If I do find out, I'll make a full report. Maybe.

[Adam Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was something else.

A giant Zeppelin, a pack of huskies, an Eskimo, Nazis, it had so many things that ultimately a lot of them served little to no purpose at all.

It was quite the adventure for Indy and I will keep reading Hohlbein's books, not bad for Indy fans.