Starclimber
Encyclopedia
Starclimber is the third book in the Matt Cruse fantasy series, written by Canadian author
Kenneth Oppel
.
for the France's Celestial Tower- a huge tower that will be built into outer space- where he narrowly survives a terrorist attack by the Babelites, a group of people who are opposed to humans reaching the heavens. After the incident, he meets with Kate de Vries, and is saddened to hear that Kate will soon return to Lionsgate City
, where her wealthy parents want her to marry and settle down.
But things look up when the Canadian government makes an exciting offer to both Matt and Kate. Canada's Minister of Air wants Canadians to be the first in space, and invites Kate to join the expedition as an expert in aerial zoology, while Matt is offered a chance to become one of the world's first astralnauts
on-board the Starclimber. Learning that the training will be taking place in Lionsgate City, Matt decides to visit his mother and sisters. While he is there, he accepts a party invitation sent by Mr. and Mrs. de Vries. During the party, Matt is informed that Kate's parents will probably marry Kate to James Sanderson, heir to the Sanderson fortune. Upon hearing this, Matt seeks out Mr. Sanderson during the party and makes up stories about Kate's hobby of taking corpses and reviving them with electricity in order to scare him away from Kate. However, Matt's lies, instead of repelling Mr. Sanderson's interest in Kate, leads him to become even more obsessed with Kate and her "work".
Matt is enrolled in the astralnaut program and becomes friends with fellow astralnaut trainee Tobias Blanchard. After a grueling series of tests, three people are chosen to be the first astralnauts, but Matt is not amongst them. When he leaves the room, Kate follows him to try and cheer him up. When she takes his hands, Matt finds an engagement ring on her finger and realizes that she has been engaged to James Sanderson. Matt leaves, heartbroken, and goes to a bar with the rest of the rejected astralnauts-in-training. The other astralnauts tell him that he deserved to be chosen, not realizing that he was more disappointed about Kate's engagement than not becoming an astralnaut. The next morning, Captain Walken tells him that one of the men they chose broke his leg, and offers Matt a spot on the space trip as a replacement. Matt accepts, even though the thought of seeing Kate again is painful.
On the day of the Starclimber's maiden voyage, the complete crew is assembled: astralnauts Chuck Sheperd, Tobias Blanchard, and Matt Cruse; photographer and journalist Evelyn Karr with her pet monkey Haiku; zoologists Kate de Vries and Sir Hugh Snuffler; along with Chef Vlad Herzog, Captain Samuel Walken, and Dr. Sergei Turgenev. They board an airship and are brought to the Starclimber's launch site. During the trip, Kate apologizes to Matt, telling him that the engagement was just a way to obtain her parents' consent to go on the space trip, and that she will break it off when she returns home. Matt is not comforted, especially when Kate tells him that they must be careful about whatever suspicions the crew members have about their relationship. The Starclimber is revealed to be an orbital elevator-type cabin, rather than an actual "ship", and climbs on a cable that is held up by a rocket that acts as the counterweight
.
When the crew is at zero gravity
, Tobias is chosen to be the first man in space. He is enthralled by the endless vista of space in front of him and threatens to unclip his harness, provoking Matt to rescue Tobias. That evening, they discover a problem in the cable that endangers the crew. They quickly come to the conclusion that the rocket that pulled the cable up did not reach the proper altitude because of a blown fuse. The team successfully relaunches the rocket, and Matt rescues Captain Walken along the way. Later on, they discover a new creature -which Kate names "etherian"- a limbless creature having baleen
that moves by ejecting bursts of air from various holes in its body and emanates light like a firefly
.
During the journey, Matt discovers a letter from James Sanderson to Kate, leading him to believe that Kate really is preparing to marry James. That night, he tells Tobias his feelings for Kate, hoping that he can help him with his troubles. Tobias suggests that Matt propose to Kate. When he does, Kate attempts to change the subject, only to provoke Matt to claim that she is deceiving him about breaking off her engagement with James Sanderson.
A few days after Matt's failed proposal, the Starclimber is homebound. However, unexpected astral barnacles are discovered on the cable. While Matt and Shepherd attempt to clear the barnacles away, the cable snaps, Shepherd is killed, and the Starclimber is left drifting in space with no way to return to the surface. The remaining members of Starclimber are left in orbit
around the earth when Matt develops a crude but brilliant brainstorm using an emergency oxygen tank as a propellant and using the toilets' flush mechanisms as maneuvering jets, giving the crew only one chance to reenter the atmosphere. The beginning launch is successful, but Captain Walken is knocked unconscious, and Matt and Tobias are left as the only members of Starclimber's crew who are able to pilot her. Together with Kate and Dr. Turgenev, the four manage to guide the Starclimber into the first stage of reentry
. While they are falling, Kate throws away her engagement ring and confesses her love for Matt. However, Dr. Turgenev reveals that everyone already knew, adding that it was "painfully obvious". The Starclimber, after a turbulent fall, successfully lands in Cairo.
The crew spend a free day at the Cairo Ritz, resting and sending telegrams telling about their successful venture. Kate receives a telegram from her mother, saying that James Sanderson had eloped with another woman. Once Kate and Matt are alone, she apologizes to him. Matt then proposes to her again, using Sanderson's engagement ring, and she accepts, though they both know that getting Kate's parents' consent will be difficult.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel
Kenneth Oppel is a Canadian author. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, he spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England and Ireland....
.
"-Matt CruseMatt CruseMatt Cruse is the main character and narrator in the Airborn series written by Kenneth Oppel. He is described as a cabin boy in the first book, though he goes on to be first mate of his own ship for a short time in Starclimber and even part of a team going to outer space...
and Kate de VriesKate de VriesKate de Vries is a fictional character in the novels Airborn, Skybreaker and Starclimber by Kenneth Oppel. She comes from a rich family, though she is very interested in science. At the end of the last book, she becomes the fiancée of Matt Cruse....
go higher than ever when they take part in the very first expedition to outer space -- and the journey turns out to be even more thrilling, perilous, and deadly, than imagined.-" Kenneth OppelKenneth OppelKenneth Oppel is a Canadian author. Born in Port Alberni, British Columbia, he spent his childhood in Victoria, British Columbia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He has also lived in Newfoundland and Labrador, England and Ireland....
Plot summary
Matt Cruse is piloting an aerocraneOrnithopter
An ornithopter is an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings. Designers seek to imitate the flapping-wing flight of birds, bats, and insects. Though machines may differ in form, they are usually built on the same scale as these flying creatures. Manned ornithopters have also been built, and some...
for the France's Celestial Tower- a huge tower that will be built into outer space- where he narrowly survives a terrorist attack by the Babelites, a group of people who are opposed to humans reaching the heavens. After the incident, he meets with Kate de Vries, and is saddened to hear that Kate will soon return to Lionsgate City
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, where her wealthy parents want her to marry and settle down.
But things look up when the Canadian government makes an exciting offer to both Matt and Kate. Canada's Minister of Air wants Canadians to be the first in space, and invites Kate to join the expedition as an expert in aerial zoology, while Matt is offered a chance to become one of the world's first astralnauts
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
on-board the Starclimber. Learning that the training will be taking place in Lionsgate City, Matt decides to visit his mother and sisters. While he is there, he accepts a party invitation sent by Mr. and Mrs. de Vries. During the party, Matt is informed that Kate's parents will probably marry Kate to James Sanderson, heir to the Sanderson fortune. Upon hearing this, Matt seeks out Mr. Sanderson during the party and makes up stories about Kate's hobby of taking corpses and reviving them with electricity in order to scare him away from Kate. However, Matt's lies, instead of repelling Mr. Sanderson's interest in Kate, leads him to become even more obsessed with Kate and her "work".
Matt is enrolled in the astralnaut program and becomes friends with fellow astralnaut trainee Tobias Blanchard. After a grueling series of tests, three people are chosen to be the first astralnauts, but Matt is not amongst them. When he leaves the room, Kate follows him to try and cheer him up. When she takes his hands, Matt finds an engagement ring on her finger and realizes that she has been engaged to James Sanderson. Matt leaves, heartbroken, and goes to a bar with the rest of the rejected astralnauts-in-training. The other astralnauts tell him that he deserved to be chosen, not realizing that he was more disappointed about Kate's engagement than not becoming an astralnaut. The next morning, Captain Walken tells him that one of the men they chose broke his leg, and offers Matt a spot on the space trip as a replacement. Matt accepts, even though the thought of seeing Kate again is painful.
On the day of the Starclimber's maiden voyage, the complete crew is assembled: astralnauts Chuck Sheperd, Tobias Blanchard, and Matt Cruse; photographer and journalist Evelyn Karr with her pet monkey Haiku; zoologists Kate de Vries and Sir Hugh Snuffler; along with Chef Vlad Herzog, Captain Samuel Walken, and Dr. Sergei Turgenev. They board an airship and are brought to the Starclimber's launch site. During the trip, Kate apologizes to Matt, telling him that the engagement was just a way to obtain her parents' consent to go on the space trip, and that she will break it off when she returns home. Matt is not comforted, especially when Kate tells him that they must be careful about whatever suspicions the crew members have about their relationship. The Starclimber is revealed to be an orbital elevator-type cabin, rather than an actual "ship", and climbs on a cable that is held up by a rocket that acts as the counterweight
Counterweight
A counterweight is an equivalent counterbalancing weight that balances a load.-Uses:A counterweight is often used in traction lifts , cranes and funfair rides...
.
When the crew is at zero gravity
Weightlessness
Weightlessness is the condition that exists for an object or person when they experience little or no acceleration except the acceleration that defines their inertial trajectory, or the trajectory of pure free-fall...
, Tobias is chosen to be the first man in space. He is enthralled by the endless vista of space in front of him and threatens to unclip his harness, provoking Matt to rescue Tobias. That evening, they discover a problem in the cable that endangers the crew. They quickly come to the conclusion that the rocket that pulled the cable up did not reach the proper altitude because of a blown fuse. The team successfully relaunches the rocket, and Matt rescues Captain Walken along the way. Later on, they discover a new creature -which Kate names "etherian"- a limbless creature having baleen
Baleen
Baleen or whalebone is a filter-feeder system inside the mouths of baleen whales. The baleen system works when a whale opens its mouth underwater and then water pours into the whale's mouth. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and remain as food...
that moves by ejecting bursts of air from various holes in its body and emanates light like a firefly
Firefly
Lampyridae is a family of insects in the beetle order Coleoptera. They are winged beetles, and commonly called fireflies or lightning bugs for their conspicuous crepuscular use of bioluminescence to attract mates or prey. Fireflies produce a "cold light", with no infrared or ultraviolet frequencies...
.
During the journey, Matt discovers a letter from James Sanderson to Kate, leading him to believe that Kate really is preparing to marry James. That night, he tells Tobias his feelings for Kate, hoping that he can help him with his troubles. Tobias suggests that Matt propose to Kate. When he does, Kate attempts to change the subject, only to provoke Matt to claim that she is deceiving him about breaking off her engagement with James Sanderson.
A few days after Matt's failed proposal, the Starclimber is homebound. However, unexpected astral barnacles are discovered on the cable. While Matt and Shepherd attempt to clear the barnacles away, the cable snaps, Shepherd is killed, and the Starclimber is left drifting in space with no way to return to the surface. The remaining members of Starclimber are left in orbit
Orbit
In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System...
around the earth when Matt develops a crude but brilliant brainstorm using an emergency oxygen tank as a propellant and using the toilets' flush mechanisms as maneuvering jets, giving the crew only one chance to reenter the atmosphere. The beginning launch is successful, but Captain Walken is knocked unconscious, and Matt and Tobias are left as the only members of Starclimber's crew who are able to pilot her. Together with Kate and Dr. Turgenev, the four manage to guide the Starclimber into the first stage of reentry
Reentry
Reentry can have several meanings:* Atmospheric reentry, the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a planet from outer space** Ballistic reentry** Skip reentry...
. While they are falling, Kate throws away her engagement ring and confesses her love for Matt. However, Dr. Turgenev reveals that everyone already knew, adding that it was "painfully obvious". The Starclimber, after a turbulent fall, successfully lands in Cairo.
The crew spend a free day at the Cairo Ritz, resting and sending telegrams telling about their successful venture. Kate receives a telegram from her mother, saying that James Sanderson had eloped with another woman. Once Kate and Matt are alone, she apologizes to him. Matt then proposes to her again, using Sanderson's engagement ring, and she accepts, though they both know that getting Kate's parents' consent will be difficult.
Concepts
- Space elevatorSpace elevatorA space elevator, also known as a geostationary orbital tether or a beanstalk, is a proposed non-rocket spacelaunch structure...
- Life in space
- Space RaceSpace RaceThe Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
- Martian canals
- FeminismFeminismFeminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
Real world people
- Evelyn Karr - after Emily CarrEmily CarrEmily Carr was a Canadian artist and writer heavily inspired by the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. One of the first painters in Canada to adopt a post-impressionist painting style, Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until later in her life...
- Chuck Shepherd - after Alan ShepardAlan ShepardAlan Bartlett Shepard, Jr. was an American naval aviator, test pilot, flag officer, and NASA astronaut who in 1961 became the second person, and the first American, in space. This Mercury flight was designed to enter space, but not to achieve orbit...
and Chuck YeagerChuck YeagerCharles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager is a retired major general in the United States Air Force and noted test pilot. He was the first pilot to travel faster than sound...