The rebirth of an old genre

The traditions of the sea narrative in Marie Brennan’s fantasy novel The Voyage of The Basilisk

Abstract

Marie Brennan’s novel The Voyage of The Basilisk (2016) is the third book in the series chronicling the exploits of Lady Trent, a naturalist residing in a world reminiscent of Victorian England. Written in the form of sea voyage memoirs, the narrative unfolds during the protagonist’s expedition aboard the Basilisk, a royal survey ship commissioned to traverse a fantastical realm in pursuit of studying various species of dragon. Employing the traditional sea narrative genre, the author follows its defining conventions, rendering the text abundant in both encyclopaedic and active descriptions of cultural artefacts and animals, alongside events ranging from mundane life on board to thrilling adventures. The characters venture into uncharted territories, engage with indigenous populations, exploring their customs and traditions, and study the diverse fauna inhabiting these lands, particularly the dragons. Working within the framework of classical nautical fiction, the author features a number of archetypal characters, including a “mad” captain, an inquisitive youth and a fellow researcher. Furthermore, The Voyage of The Basilisk is highly intertextual and alludes not only to iconic fictional works such as Herman Melville’s Moby Dick and Robert Stevenson's Treasure Island but also seminal non-fictional accounts like Charles Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle.