This was my first Poul Anderson novel, and thought they were in the fantasy area, more than science fiction. It was published in 1974 and includes a great cover illustration by the iconic Frank Frazetta.
The premise of The Dancer From Atlantis is that four strangers from various places in time get sucked into a celestial vortex by a travelling time machine and are transported to a distant land, in 4000 BC!
Duncan Reid was on a cargo ship in 1974; Oleg, a Russian from June 1050 AD; Uldin, a Ukrainian Hun from the later 4th century BC; and Erissa, a beautiful bull dancer from Mediterranean Atlantis, a year before it sank into the sea. As the time ship passed close to Earth, a malfunction caused them to be picked up in the wake as it crashes. The pilot emerges and gives them a helmet which configures their thoughts and makes them understand each others languages, but when he dies from his injuries they find they are stranded in the region of Ancient Egypt.
This is a great premise and I was looking forward to more time shifts and travels. Dancer however turns into a historical novel, as they catch a boat to Athens and are presented to Prince Theseus. The political scene between the Athenians and the Minoans of Crete is building up, and most of the time is spent with the future visitors helping the Athenians build up their battleships and warn of future battles to come, as Duncan recalls the history. Meanwhile, Duncan has been taken to Atlantis where he meets Ariadne, and tries to explain that there will be a disaster in Atlantis in a few months. She too is involved with armies and ships moving on Crete., along with Theseus they plan to over throw the sea empire Thalassocracy.
This is a new take on the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne, and the fall of Atlantis, but it caught me by surprise as I had in my head this was a time travel novel. It's well written and they do get to Knossos on Crete, but wasn't as involving as I would have liked. The pacing got bogged down a little, like my attention was on other areas of the story he wasn't telling me about.
There is lots of court intrigue, some romance, a giant battle - but for me it was too political and wordy to be truly exciting. I would read another of his novels, glad I read it, but I'm not recommending it.
1974 / Hardcover / 184 pages
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