Airborn
 Airborn first edition cover. | |
| Author | Kenneth Oppel |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Peter Riddihoff |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
| Series | Matt Cruse series |
| Genre | Fantasy, Alternate history novel, Steampunk |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | February 5, 2004 |
| Media type |
Print (Hardcover & Paperback) Audiobook |
| Pages | 321 pp (first edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 978-0-00-200537-1 |
| OCLC | 53162914 |
| Followed by | Skybreaker |
Airborn is a 2004 young adult novel by Kenneth Oppel. The book won the Canada's Governor General's Award. Airborn is set in a time where the primary form of air transportation is the airship. The technological advancements in the story appear to depict a world similar to the very early twentieth century, with a few changes: the airplane has not been invented and the Earth contains hydrium, a fictional gas lighter than hydrogen, as well as fictional flying creatures which live their entire lives in the sky. This suggests that the book takes place in an alternate reality. The book takes place aboard a transoceanic airship, the Aurora, and is told from the perspective of its cabin boy, Matt Cruse. The story is recognised as steampunk.[1]
Plot summary
14-year-old Matt Cruse is a cabin boy for the Aurora, an airship that stays afloat using a gas called "hydrium". While on lookout duty, he spots a damaged balloon carrying an unconscious old man. The man, whose name is Benjamin Malloy, rambles about "beautiful creatures" and dies shortly after being taken aboard.
One year later, Matt leaves his home in Lionsgate City to accompany the Aurora on its voyage to Sydney, Australia. Despite loving his mother and sisters dearly, Matt is relieved to be in the air where he feels closest to his father — a former sailmaker who died in an accident. Matt is disappointed to learn that the Junior Sailmaker position he was promised has been given to the fleet's heir, Bruce Lunardi. One day into the voyage, an ornithopter delivers two passengers to the ship: Kate de Vries and her chaperone Marjorie Simpkins. Kate tells Matt that she is Benjamin Malloy's granddaughter and shows him detailed drawings of flying panther-like creatures from Malloy's journal. Intrigued by the possibility that they live their whole lives in the air, Kate reveals that she is on a mission to prove that such creatures are real.
A few nights later, the ship is raided by a notorious criminal named Vikram Szpirglas. His gang of pirates plunders the ship of all valuables and kills the chief wireless officer. The pirates proceed to leave, but both ships are caught in a storm which produces a tear in the Aurora's supply of hydrium. As the sailmakers scramble to repair the falling Aurora, Matt spots an island and the crew steers toward it. The ship crash lands on the island, which to Kate's realization, is the island from her grandfather's journal. Kate convinces Matt to help her explore the island where they discover the skeleton of a large winged creature. A few minutes later, they find an injured member of the same species which they decide to call a "cloud cat". Apart from cloud cats, Matt also smells that there is hydrium on the island.
Miss Simpkins tries to lock Kate in her room for associating with Matt. As the repairs near completion, Kate drugs her and takes one last chance to photograph the island's wildlife. Matt and Bruce begin looking for her until Bruce suffers a bite on his leg from a cloud cat. Matt is able to find Kate, but the two of them stumble upon the pirates at one of their encampments. Unrecognized, they ask for shelter in the pirate camp and make a plan to sneak away during the night. During their escape, Kate and Matt are apprehended and thrown into a hydrium pit where there is no oxygen. They use Kate's harem pants as a balloon to lift themselves to ground level as Szpirglas' crew sets out to silence the passengers of the Aurora. Kate begins crying in the forest, blaming herself for putting everyone else in danger. Matt kisses her twice to give reassurance and act on the feelings he has developed for her.
Kate and Matt find Bruce and the three make their way to the Aurora which is being held hostage by eight pirates. They are able to undo the landing lines and cause the ship to take off. Matt's innate knowledge of the flight system allows them to temporarily take control and steer the ship away from the island. After tending to Bruce's wounds in the infirmary, Matt brings sleeping elixir to the cook so that it can be added to the pirates' soup. Szpirglas' crew murders Bruce in the engine room and chases Matt onto the hull of the Aurora in open air. Szpirglas pushes Matt off the edge who thinks of his father as he falls. He is able to grab a fin on the side of the ship and notice a group of cloud cats flying by. Just as Szpirglas is about to kill Matt, he is attacked by the cloud cats and is thrown into the sea. The passengers are saved when Matt steers the Aurora back on course.
Six months later, Matt meets Kate in Paris where she is exhibiting her cloud cat skeleton and photographs. Matt reveals that he will attend the Airship Academy, with the help of the reward money for finding Szpirglas' base of operations. Kate's zoology studies are about to begin at the university on the other side of the river.
Awards and nominations
- The book won a Governor General's Award for children's literature in 2004.[2][3]
- The book was a Michael L. Printz Award honor book.
- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon award winner.
- The book was a 2007 Nutmeg Children's Book Award nominee. It came in fifth place.[4]
- The book was a 2006–2007 Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award nominee.
- The book won the Red Maple Award in 2006
Film adaptation
- The book originally was being adapted into a film, to be directed by Stephen Sommers. Thomas Dean Donnelly adapted the screenplay, and Christian Vandal was to star as Matt Cruse. However, in 2008, Oppel indicated that the project has been dropped.[5]
- Announced on March 19, 2012, Halifax Films and Michael Donovan have teamed up and have optioned the book for film. Oppel has been hired to write the preliminary script and will be an executive producer.[6]
Publication history
Airborn was first released in Canada in February 2004. It was shortly followed with its release in the United Kingdom and the United States in April and May 2004 respectively. Below is the release details for the first edition hardback and paperback copies in these three publication regions.
See also
References
- ↑ "Airborn by Kenneth Oppel". http://www.steampunk.com''. Steampunk.com. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ↑ "Past Recipients Prizes Section Governor General's Literary Awards". http://www.canadacouncil.ca''. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ↑ Pereira, Diana (15 November 2004). "Airborn, Jabberwocky win children's literature awards". The Globe and Mail (Phillip Crawley). Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ↑ Nutmeg Children's Book Award – 2007 Nominees
- ↑ Walker, Morley (2008-09-28). "Interview with an Author: Oppel's simple advice: write about your passion". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 2010-03-03.
- ↑ Kenneth, Oppel (2012-03-19). "Kenneth Oppel: Airborn The Movie: Take Two". Kenneth Oppel's Blog. Retrieved 2013-11-12.