What is this Time Travel Novel Called?

[ShrinkyLink]

This is driving me nuts.

In this novel, a man time travels back to 17th century England, and gets stuck there. He thinks because he's from our oh so smart 20th century that survival will be a doddle: he plans to just get a job at a newspaper, and use his modern smarts to get by. Instead, he's nearly killed on his first day. The novel slides between science fiction and fantasy, with thieves guilds and assassins running about. Anyone know the title?

 

[Undead Pete]

Hmmmm.... I thought I had read every time travel novel out there, but this doesn't ring a bell. Can you give any more info? When do you think it was published?

 

[Meowzebub]

I will put 'Anubis Gate' by Tim Powers out there as a possibilty. Definately has a Theives' Guild and a strong fantasy element. Your description contains story elements of both the Hero and the Villian. The Hero is almost murdered right away, and he is stuck in the past, but it was more the Villian who thinks the past is exploitable.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I will put 'Anubis Gate' by Tim Powers out there as a possibilty. Definately has a Theives' Guild and a strong fantasy element. Your description contains story elements of both the Hero and the Villian. The Hero is almost murdered right away, and he is stuck in the past, but it was more the Villian who thinks the past is exploitable.

That was my first thought as well, but I don't recall anything about plans to work at a newspaper. But Anubis Gates fits most of the other criteria. Even if it's not the book being thought of, it's a damn good book, and worth reading.

 

[Nifft]

Re: Anubis Gate: the newspaper thing might really be the poetry thing.

And I third that this is a book worth reading.

-- N

 

[Wombat]

Why does this remind me of Lord Kelvin of Otherwhen... (I think that is the right title -- I haven't seen that book in over a decade.)

 

[CCamfield]

It's not Lord Kalvan...

(Blurb from a webpage I found)

Calvin Morrison is a Pennsylvania State Trooper on a bust when he s transported to an alternate universe--a universe where a priest-caste has a monopoly on gunpowder and is using it to crush the only people to befriend Calvin (renamed Kalvan). If he can only survive, a beautiful princess definitely has him in her sights. Of course, to survive, he's got to change the world, re-invent gunpowder, reorganize the military, and defeat assasins, neighboring kingdoms aching for the spoils, and the richest priest-caste in his new universe.

Anubis Gates might be it, but Anubis Gates is set for the most part in the 19th century (1800s), not 17th. Still, a great book, so check it out.