Flying Dutch
Encyclopedia
Flying Dutch is the third humorous-fantasy novel by popular British author Tom Holt
. first published in the UK in 1991 by St. Martin's Press
.
Inspired by Wagner's
opera, The Flying Dutchman
, the novel asserts that the famous Dutchman and his crew were not, in fact, cursed by the Devil, but were instead the victim of a flawed alchemical experiment which made them immortal, but, as a side effect, gave them a horrible, unbearable stench. Every seven years, the stench wears off, briefly, and the crew can land and reprovision. However, modern technology is catching up with the Dutchman, and compound interest
on his ancient life-insurance policy threatens the entire world's economy.
While the ship’s crew includes twenty members, all except for Captain Julius Vanderdecker, are flat characters of little intelligence used only for comedic effect. Vanderdecker is the Python-esqe sane man in the insane world of his ship. His one goal is to find a cure to “the Stench” or die trying.
Jane is the heroine of the book, a lowly and put-upon accountant. She is the modern working woman trying to survive in the corporate world. She accidentally stumbles on to the Vanderdecker File, but does not know what it means. Meanwhile, Vanderdecker and Jane meet and pass each other repeatedly without making a connection. Finally, Jane’s peculiar flaw of having no sense of smell recommends her to the upper echelons of her office, and she is given the job of straightening out the Vanderdecker matter.
Vanderdecker took out an insurance policy before he took off on his last voyage, and the bank is still obligated to pay out on the policy at the compounded interest rate should he ever die. However, he never named an heir, and the bank hopes to get Vanderdecker to sign the policy over to them. If the policy is not signed over and the immortal captain should find something to kill him, the international banking institutions around the world would fall attempting to pay the money owed. Jane is the only one to ever contact Vanderdecker, and now she needs to find him again to clear up the matter of his policy.
The novel earned 17th place in Locus Magazine's
annual Best Fantasy Novel of the Year awards in 1992.
Tom Holt
Tom Holt is a British novelist.He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London....
. first published in the UK in 1991 by St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press
St. Martin's Press is a book publisher headquartered in the Flatiron Building in New York City. Currently, St. Martin's Press is one of the United States' largest publishers, bringing to the public some 700 titles a year under eight imprints, which include St. Martin's Press , St...
.
Inspired by Wagner's
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
opera, The Flying Dutchman
The Flying Dutchman (opera)
Der fliegende Holländer is an opera, with music and libretto by Richard Wagner.Wagner claimed in his 1870 autobiography Mein Leben that he had been inspired to write "The Flying Dutchman" following a stormy sea crossing he made from Riga to London in July and August 1839, but in his 1843...
, the novel asserts that the famous Dutchman and his crew were not, in fact, cursed by the Devil, but were instead the victim of a flawed alchemical experiment which made them immortal, but, as a side effect, gave them a horrible, unbearable stench. Every seven years, the stench wears off, briefly, and the crew can land and reprovision. However, modern technology is catching up with the Dutchman, and compound interest
Compound interest
Compound interest arises when interest is added to the principal, so that from that moment on, the interest that has been added also itself earns interest. This addition of interest to the principal is called compounding...
on his ancient life-insurance policy threatens the entire world's economy.
While the ship’s crew includes twenty members, all except for Captain Julius Vanderdecker, are flat characters of little intelligence used only for comedic effect. Vanderdecker is the Python-esqe sane man in the insane world of his ship. His one goal is to find a cure to “the Stench” or die trying.
Jane is the heroine of the book, a lowly and put-upon accountant. She is the modern working woman trying to survive in the corporate world. She accidentally stumbles on to the Vanderdecker File, but does not know what it means. Meanwhile, Vanderdecker and Jane meet and pass each other repeatedly without making a connection. Finally, Jane’s peculiar flaw of having no sense of smell recommends her to the upper echelons of her office, and she is given the job of straightening out the Vanderdecker matter.
Vanderdecker took out an insurance policy before he took off on his last voyage, and the bank is still obligated to pay out on the policy at the compounded interest rate should he ever die. However, he never named an heir, and the bank hopes to get Vanderdecker to sign the policy over to them. If the policy is not signed over and the immortal captain should find something to kill him, the international banking institutions around the world would fall attempting to pay the money owed. Jane is the only one to ever contact Vanderdecker, and now she needs to find him again to clear up the matter of his policy.
The novel earned 17th place in Locus Magazine's
Locus (magazine)
Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
annual Best Fantasy Novel of the Year awards in 1992.