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Shipwreck
Galactic Crusoe.
When an atomic explosion destroys a huge expedition ship, Tansis becomes the sole survivor. A skilled space pilot, he manages to land his scout craft on the nearest planet. The alien world in which he finds himself is not hostile but has no means of supporting human life. Desperate for intelligent contact, Tansis establishes a telepathic relationship with the extraordinary seal-like creatures who live in the planet's oceans. But just as things seem to be going smoothly, the craft computer warns Tansis that the energy supply is running out and he is forced to take drastic measures to safeguard his own survival ...
When an atomic explosion destroys a huge expedition ship, Tansis becomes the sole survivor. A skilled space pilot, he manages to land his scout craft on the nearest planet. The alien world in which he finds himself is not hostile but has no means of supporting human life. Desperate for intelligent contact, Tansis establishes a telepathic relationship with the extraordinary seal-like creatures who live in the planet's oceans. But just as things seem to be going smoothly, the craft computer warns Tansis that the energy supply is running out and he is forced to take drastic measures to safeguard his own survival ...
- GenresScience FictionFiction
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
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236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 27, 2014
This was the most memorable book I have ever read. When I was 15 I went to my local library in 1975 and borrowed a brand new shiny Victor Gollancz yellow hardback of this book. I was the first person in the library to have read it, and aged 15 it made an impression on me that lasted a lifetime. In 2014 I got hold of a rather less pristine copy and re-read the book again. Unlike most SF from the 1970s this book has not dated one bit, it only has one character, Tansis, a stranded astronaut from Earth of the future who has had to land on a deserted planet, Capella, because his mother ship got destroyed. The book starts with him burying the last of his co-astronauts and the book charts his daily struggles to survive in a hostile environment, enduring physical but more importantly psychological trauma and loneliness.
As others have said, the ending is very memorable,you will love it or hate the ending as it is a bit unexpected. What is special about this book is that by the end you really know the character, you all but become him, his problems become yours. You keep questioning yourself as to how you would cope in the same circumstances. It is all so very real.
The only book I have ever read again from my childhood days that is as alive now as it was in 1975. It was such a shame that Charles Logan, a male psychiatric nurse from England never wrote another novel as this one work was a true masterpiece. The narrative is simple, a bit repetitive in places but it is otherwise amazing.
Go and get an old battered copy and read it! Gollancz really ought to re-release this as a Kindle book - so many would enjoy it afresh.
Happy Reading.
As others have said, the ending is very memorable,you will love it or hate the ending as it is a bit unexpected. What is special about this book is that by the end you really know the character, you all but become him, his problems become yours. You keep questioning yourself as to how you would cope in the same circumstances. It is all so very real.
The only book I have ever read again from my childhood days that is as alive now as it was in 1975. It was such a shame that Charles Logan, a male psychiatric nurse from England never wrote another novel as this one work was a true masterpiece. The narrative is simple, a bit repetitive in places but it is otherwise amazing.
Go and get an old battered copy and read it! Gollancz really ought to re-release this as a Kindle book - so many would enjoy it afresh.
Happy Reading.
abandonados
May 5, 2023Historia de un robinson espacial varado en un mundo inexplorado. En vez de inclinarse por lo exótico, Logan tira por una suerte de pragmatismo soseras. No hay aventura, no hay fascinación, no hay desborde imaginativo alguno, sino un manual de supervivencia en un mundo anodino. La falta de conflicto es su seña. Tras esforzarme con la monotonía de las primeras cien páginas, y recién superado el ecuador del libro, un capítulo entero de puro aburrimiento, empleado en explicar cómo el náufrago construye una torre sobre la que colocar una fuente de alimentación eólica para las baterías energéticas, me obliga a abandonar la lectura. A estas alturas, con lo acumulado a mis espaldas, este libro no tiene nada que ofrecerme.
January 31, 2018
The only book Charles Logan wrote and one of my all time favourites it's very hard to review because the plot is incredibly simple it has only one major character but it stays with you long after you have finished it ......
March 24, 2025
Can’t say I liked this book. But I didn’t not like it either. There were very long stretches of tedium and boredom. Also, I wouldn’t say this book was the original version of Weir’s The Martian, as I’d heard in a separate review. I distinctly remember two episodes in the narrative which really focused my attention and grabbed my interest. And then it petered out. Bleak and depressing, but I imagine, very much more realistic than Weir’s The Martian.
February 15, 2024
4, maybe 4.5 stars
Shipwreck is the story of Tansis, a human crew member of a generation ship of colonists from Earth searching the distant stars for a suitable planet on which to start a new life. While approaching the Capellan star system in the Virgo constellation, disaster strikes and a nuclear explosion destroys the ship and most of its inhabitants. Tansis, piloting the scout ship, manages to board and rescue a handful of his shipmates before the mother ship breaks up entirely. He brings them to the surface of one of the planets he was scouting as the mother ship's remains continue on a collision course with the star. One by one, his friends die off until Tansis is alone and stranded on an alien world.
The planet he finds himself on is strange. There is life, but it seems primitive. Though he knows there will never be any sort of rescue (the next humans to pass by will likely not arrive until beyond his lifetime), he endeavors to survive. Battling the elements, technical challenges, and trying to hold on to the will to live, Tansis tackles each problem logically. It doesn't always work out, and he learns some interesting things about the planet.
Shipwreck is a hard science fiction novel where author Charles Logan takes us through the routines and logic problems presented to Tansis as he works to overcome and attempt to master them. This is a story of survival in extreme situations, and it is presented matter-of-factly and without ornament. Tansis, a pilot, admits that he is no scientist or engineer, but uses the extensive database on the ship's computer to teach himself a few basic things. He doesn't have a particularly strong personality, but through his struggles I felt myself becoming attached to him. Shipwreck is a slow burn, but it is not a long book. I found it to be rather grounded--evoking the curiosity and realism of what might actually happen in such a scenario.
This book is currently out of production and no e-book edition exists (as of early 2024). If you can get your hands on a physical copy, I highly recommend it for any hard science fiction lovers or those interested in stories of survival in extreme situations.
Shipwreck is the story of Tansis, a human crew member of a generation ship of colonists from Earth searching the distant stars for a suitable planet on which to start a new life. While approaching the Capellan star system in the Virgo constellation, disaster strikes and a nuclear explosion destroys the ship and most of its inhabitants. Tansis, piloting the scout ship, manages to board and rescue a handful of his shipmates before the mother ship breaks up entirely. He brings them to the surface of one of the planets he was scouting as the mother ship's remains continue on a collision course with the star. One by one, his friends die off until Tansis is alone and stranded on an alien world.
The planet he finds himself on is strange. There is life, but it seems primitive. Though he knows there will never be any sort of rescue (the next humans to pass by will likely not arrive until beyond his lifetime), he endeavors to survive. Battling the elements, technical challenges, and trying to hold on to the will to live, Tansis tackles each problem logically. It doesn't always work out, and he learns some interesting things about the planet.
Shipwreck is a hard science fiction novel where author Charles Logan takes us through the routines and logic problems presented to Tansis as he works to overcome and attempt to master them. This is a story of survival in extreme situations, and it is presented matter-of-factly and without ornament. Tansis, a pilot, admits that he is no scientist or engineer, but uses the extensive database on the ship's computer to teach himself a few basic things. He doesn't have a particularly strong personality, but through his struggles I felt myself becoming attached to him. Shipwreck is a slow burn, but it is not a long book. I found it to be rather grounded--evoking the curiosity and realism of what might actually happen in such a scenario.
This book is currently out of production and no e-book edition exists (as of early 2024). If you can get your hands on a physical copy, I highly recommend it for any hard science fiction lovers or those interested in stories of survival in extreme situations.
March 5, 2015
It's strange that such a sparse book can have such a huge impact. It's all of about 190 pages long, there is no dialogue and it's all told in the third person. Whilst some technological elements of the book are obviously dated, the problems faced by Tansis a man lost and alone on a hostile planet with no hope of rescue would be the same whether the technology was dated or not.
Logan's description of the mental problems that Tansis suffered as one alone with no hope of rescue was very perceptive; it's not often that sci-fi from this period addresses mental health. I wasn't surprised to find out that Logan was a mental health nurse so obviously had a good insight into the way the human mind acts under pressure.
Tansis' initial struggles with his situation upon arriving on Capellan and his then reaching equilibrium for a while was actually very satisfying to read. How one person put in an untenable situation makes the best of it was really interesting. The pleasure that he took in the company of the sentient sea-creatures was a demonstration that people need company of some sort, just to acknowledge that you are alive, that you exist.
The end when it comes is inevitable, but no less devastating for that.
I read Shipwreck as a 14 or 15 year old and it had a major impact on me. 30 years later I can remember my distress on finishing the book, having to go out and take a walk on my own to grieve for the brave man lost 62 light years from home.
Logan's description of the mental problems that Tansis suffered as one alone with no hope of rescue was very perceptive; it's not often that sci-fi from this period addresses mental health. I wasn't surprised to find out that Logan was a mental health nurse so obviously had a good insight into the way the human mind acts under pressure.
Tansis' initial struggles with his situation upon arriving on Capellan and his then reaching equilibrium for a while was actually very satisfying to read. How one person put in an untenable situation makes the best of it was really interesting. The pleasure that he took in the company of the sentient sea-creatures was a demonstration that people need company of some sort, just to acknowledge that you are alive, that you exist.
The end when it comes is inevitable, but no less devastating for that.
I read Shipwreck as a 14 or 15 year old and it had a major impact on me. 30 years later I can remember my distress on finishing the book, having to go out and take a walk on my own to grieve for the brave man lost 62 light years from home.
May 6, 2025
Shipwreck by Charles Logan is a haunting, masterful sci-fi gem that deserves a resounding 5 out of 5. This relentless tale of a lone survivor’s battle with entropy on an alien planet is both bleak and inspiring, with real moments of pride as Tansis triumphs against impossible odds. The single, gut-punching outcome underscores the story’s raw, unforgiving realism. Logan’s singular contribution to the sci-fi genre is nothing short of terrific—a slow-burn Robinsonade that everyone should read, even if it’s a challenge to track down. A must for fans of introspective, hard sci-fi.
February 21, 2019
Una historia sobria de un hombre que asume que nunca volverá a ver a nadie de su especie. El autor nos lleva por el día a día de este único superviviente que se esfuerza en seguir adelante, en adaptarse y vivir, pero que no puede evitar pasar por continuos periodos de abatimiento y desesperación para recuperarse y nuevamente volver a caer y que ve en unos seres de ese planeta su única y desesperada oportunidad por tener contacto con ''alguien''.
Tal vez Logan solo quería hablarnos de la soledad y por eso la obra termina por ser un tanto lenta y sílo se anima por los contactos con otra especie. No es un libro que yo me atreva a recomendar a nadie aunque a mi, particularmente, me ha gustado.
Tal vez Logan solo quería hablarnos de la soledad y por eso la obra termina por ser un tanto lenta y sílo se anima por los contactos con otra especie. No es un libro que yo me atreva a recomendar a nadie aunque a mi, particularmente, me ha gustado.
August 21, 2016
One of the only books I have read with only one character! Very cleverly written and one finds oneself drawn into that character's dilemma. This was a re-read for me, having borrowed the bookfrom the library many years ago, it benefits from more than one run through, more involving the second time around, very good; give it a try.
April 16, 2017
A histhory of lonelines and figth for the survival of a lonely man,stranded in a strange but earthlike planet,after the mother ship is destroyed in an accident.Here are sad thoughts an reflections,descriptions of landscapes of the planet ;withot hope a sad ,melancholic, unique, forgotten novel
February 8, 2023
Tansis ha quedado varado en el planeta Capella VI. Nacido en una nave generacional, la nave principal ha quedado destruída y él, el único superviviente, ha logrado posarse sobre el planeta en una nave auxiliar de exploración sin el equipo de colonización, por lo que deberá valerse por sí mismo para sobrevivir al tiempo que explora el planeta.
Decir que la novela es floja es un eufemismo. A lo largo de la novela al protagonista le pasan cosas y las va resolviendo sobre la marcha. Si la trama lo necesita, en la nave hay algo que lo resuelve, si no, hay algo que el protagonista puede chapucear... o no, según el autor crea que la trama requiera más o menos drama, pero no hay ninguna coherencia; a modo de ejemplo: se supone que el protagonista ha llegado a la superficie en una nave de exploración y, por eso, sin el equipamiento para colonizar, pero esta nave no tiene algo tan básico para la exploración como un róver para recorrer distancias y sí un sistema de reciclado de agua y alimentos para sobrevivir de forma independiente durante largos periodos. Las incongruencias como esta son numerosas.
Pero lo peor es el tratamiento del personaje. Un joven nacido en una nave espacial, que no ha pisado nunca la superficie de un planeta, no se ha paseado al aire libre, no conoce la Tierra... pero nada de esto tiene importancia cuando se ve solo en una superficie planetaria desconocida. No tiene agorafobia, no siente inquietud, sorpresa, desorientación... y siempre que encuentra algo desconocido lo asemeja a algo similar que existe en una Tierra que no conoce.
Una novela muy prescindible.
Decir que la novela es floja es un eufemismo. A lo largo de la novela al protagonista le pasan cosas y las va resolviendo sobre la marcha. Si la trama lo necesita, en la nave hay algo que lo resuelve, si no, hay algo que el protagonista puede chapucear... o no, según el autor crea que la trama requiera más o menos drama, pero no hay ninguna coherencia; a modo de ejemplo: se supone que el protagonista ha llegado a la superficie en una nave de exploración y, por eso, sin el equipamiento para colonizar, pero esta nave no tiene algo tan básico para la exploración como un róver para recorrer distancias y sí un sistema de reciclado de agua y alimentos para sobrevivir de forma independiente durante largos periodos. Las incongruencias como esta son numerosas.
Pero lo peor es el tratamiento del personaje. Un joven nacido en una nave espacial, que no ha pisado nunca la superficie de un planeta, no se ha paseado al aire libre, no conoce la Tierra... pero nada de esto tiene importancia cuando se ve solo en una superficie planetaria desconocida. No tiene agorafobia, no siente inquietud, sorpresa, desorientación... y siempre que encuentra algo desconocido lo asemeja a algo similar que existe en una Tierra que no conoce.
Una novela muy prescindible.
December 4, 2021
If you could take all the "fiction" portion out of the science-fiction genre, Shipwreck by Charles Logan is what you'd end up with. A crude, realistic depiction of what being a castaway on a strange planet could be like. Most of the fiction is concentrated on the premise of space travelling rather than on the events taking place during this narration. Tansis, the protagonist, is the sole survivor in a failed expedition to spearhead the colonization of Capella 6, a planet with earth-like characteristics. We'll see Tansis go through most of the vicissitudes of being a castaway, the problem being that they're just not exciting; purifying water, feeding himself, long trips to fetch water, among other equally uneventful situations written in an almost painfully scientific language end up piling up for almost 300 pages. The only highlight for me was the discovery of intelligent life, although you could make the point that the protagonist never actually achieves a way of communicating with them succesfully. There are passages in which the author attempts to touch on some deeper subjects as extreme loneliness and tellepatic communication, but they're short and far apart.
Overall, a boring read, and the writing felt a bit convoluted at times. 2/5
Overall, a boring read, and the writing felt a bit convoluted at times. 2/5
August 2, 2011
I read this book many years ago and it was a page turner, as I constantly got closer and closerto the end and wondered how he was going to escape his fate. Then I read the end and discovered with a sense of shock that he wasn't. I remember at that time, after having been with him for so many chapters, being upset by the ending, and even today, at least two decades later I can remember those last few words of the book. But in the end, it turned out to be a surprisingly apt ending, and when I wrote the ending to my third book, it was clear in my mind as I wrestled with the ending for it.
This is a good read of a man's struggle against adversity in an alien world.
This is a good read of a man's struggle against adversity in an alien world.
April 13, 2023
Another book I picked up all the way back in 2019. I spent the better part of two years making it through the very procedural first act, then ploughed through the remainder in about a day, just tearing through the final 30 or so pages. Procedural is the key word, as Logan makes you feel every step Tansis has to take, the routine he develops, and the horror—and twisted relief—when that routine finally breaks down. Reads like the anti-The Martian at points. Kept picturing Randall Park as Tansis. As a longtime No Man's Sky player I feel like this best emulates starting off on a real shitty planet.
December 23, 2018
5/10. Sólo leí este del autor y bueno, bien....
July 25, 2023
As good as I remember. One man's experience of surviving a crash-landing on a lonely alien planet. A simple but entrancing read.
July 10, 2022
non fosse stato per il consiglio di un amico forse non avrei mai incontrato questo "naufragio" di charles logan: a quanto pare piccolo successo in uk all'epoca e oggetto di rapidissima traduzione in italiano (una rarità per la sf), ma oggi -a parte una ristampa su un millemondi urania nei '90- libro dimenticato da queste parti, e forse non solo qui.
è un peccato, perchè ai tempi del successo di "the martian" si sarebbe potuto trovare qui un precursore: un uomo che resta da solo in un ambiente alieno e potenzialmente ostile all'uomo, impossibilitato ad andarsene e costretto a trovare un modo per sopravvivere.
identiche premesse, quindi, ma svolgimento diverso: il nostro protagonista tansis è un uomo come quasi tutti, capace a far poche cose e costretto ad imparare o ad arrangiarsi per tutto il resto, che attende con un misto di paura, depressione e disperata volontà di sopravvivere ogni nuovo ostacolo che il destino gli manda incontro.
il tutto è all'insegna di un crudo realismo, dove i problemi e le soluzioni sono decisamente verosimili e anche quando avviene un incontro alieno la situazione è assai concreta (come possono comunicare due specie diversissime tra loro? beh, nessuno spoiler ma si può anticipare che per fortuna logan non ci mostra ridicoli tentativi alla robinson crusoe delle stelle che scopre il suo venerdì alieno).
romanzo decisamente non datato e ancora capace di trasmettere un'atmosfera di reale angoscia, meriterebbe una riscoperta: chissà che qualche sceneggiatore di serie tv in crisi di soggetti nuovi non ci dia un'occhiata, potrebbe funzionare benissimo...
è un peccato, perchè ai tempi del successo di "the martian" si sarebbe potuto trovare qui un precursore: un uomo che resta da solo in un ambiente alieno e potenzialmente ostile all'uomo, impossibilitato ad andarsene e costretto a trovare un modo per sopravvivere.
identiche premesse, quindi, ma svolgimento diverso: il nostro protagonista tansis è un uomo come quasi tutti, capace a far poche cose e costretto ad imparare o ad arrangiarsi per tutto il resto, che attende con un misto di paura, depressione e disperata volontà di sopravvivere ogni nuovo ostacolo che il destino gli manda incontro.
il tutto è all'insegna di un crudo realismo, dove i problemi e le soluzioni sono decisamente verosimili e anche quando avviene un incontro alieno la situazione è assai concreta (come possono comunicare due specie diversissime tra loro? beh, nessuno spoiler ma si può anticipare che per fortuna logan non ci mostra ridicoli tentativi alla robinson crusoe delle stelle che scopre il suo venerdì alieno).
romanzo decisamente non datato e ancora capace di trasmettere un'atmosfera di reale angoscia, meriterebbe una riscoperta: chissà che qualche sceneggiatore di serie tv in crisi di soggetti nuovi non ci dia un'occhiata, potrebbe funzionare benissimo...
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March 30, 2022I read this book as a kid some 40 years ago. My Father loved science fiction novels and I chose it from the bookshelf due to the artwork on the cover. As a young boy and being a bit silly, when about halfway through the book I stupidly looked at the last page and read the last sentence which kind of ruined it! I remember the story being realistic and capturing my imagination and I vaguely remember the hardships the astronaut encountered - so the book must have engaged me at that level.
October 26, 2021
It starts as a bit of a slowburn and definitely isn't what one would call an exciting book but I just finished it and it is one of those reads that you know will stick with you for a long time.
September 18, 2022
A haunting novel that stays with me to this day. Very emotive and a pleasure to devour.
not-in-pima-okc-wi-but-want
November 17, 2022wishlisted on pbs
September 20, 2024
Me siento afortunado. Otra pequeña maravilla de los años 70 que nadie parece recordar.
January 25, 2026
I read this when it was first published and for the past 10 years I have been looking for a copy which wasn’t on sale for an exorbitant amount. I finally found one so thanks Oxfam! A great short sci fi novel and if Andy Weir didn’t read it then how spooky are the many similarities between this and The Martian. It’s also a pretty depressing and sad read but obviously one that affected me and stayed with me for 50 years. If you find a copy then hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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September 19, 2012Pretty bad - dull, boring, dated. I skipped an awful lot after the first chapter.
It's about a pilot on a colonizing mission to Capella. The main ship is destroyed and all others are killed. He manages to get away to the planet they were venturing (several generations on a slower than light starship) to colonize.
Dated and not very imaginative - all communication with the ship's computer is via typed input and printed output - no audio or video. And pretty lame - video output was certainly available back then (I know - I was there!)
Can I give a book 0 stars? 'Cause, that's what I gave this one, a big fat zero.
It's about a pilot on a colonizing mission to Capella. The main ship is destroyed and all others are killed. He manages to get away to the planet they were venturing (several generations on a slower than light starship) to colonize.
Dated and not very imaginative - all communication with the ship's computer is via typed input and printed output - no audio or video. And pretty lame - video output was certainly available back then (I know - I was there!)
Can I give a book 0 stars? 'Cause, that's what I gave this one, a big fat zero.
July 29, 2012
A sad tale of an astronaut stranded on an alien planet when his mother ship is destroyed. He ingeniously struggles to survive, continually overcoming adversity, but as the years go by his technology wears out. His life becomes increasingly wearying as he has to work harder and harder. Finally he ...
May 22, 2018
One of my all-time favourite books, definitely in my top 10.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews