# ID a SF book/series -- Engineer time travels, Poland becomes center of civilization? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [January 26, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539 "2021-01-26T17:26:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/1 "2021-01-26T17:26:52Z")
I read these book(s) back in the 70s in SF Book club editions, I think. Possibly a trilogy? At least one of the books might have had ‘Engineer’ in the title. The plot was basically “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, only the hero goes back to medieval Poland, gets befriended by the king, and proceeds to introduce engineering breakthroughs and so Poland turns into the heart of science/tech/industrial innovation. (I suspect the author was of Polish ancestry and was avenging too many years of ‘backward Poles’ jokes.) A random bit that stuck in my mind: Somehow as a result it becomes normal for maps to be shown in an orientation other than North at the top. Ring any bells? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/2 "2021-01-26T17:33:14Z")
Sounds like [Conrad Stargard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Stargard) by Leo Frankowski. I read _The Cross-Time Engineer_ at some point. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/3 "2021-01-26T17:36:34Z")
The plot also sounds a little like that of _Three Hearts and Three Lions_, by Poul Anderson (an excellent book, BTW), though as the protagonist in that one is a Danish engineer, I’m pretty sure that’s not it (and, it also looks like @What_Exit has a better answer). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/4 "2021-01-26T17:43:22Z")
Oddly that was my first thought. I loved that book. Pretty sure I still have it despite giving away 90% of my books. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/5 "2021-01-26T18:30:59Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sounds like [Conrad Stargard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Stargard) by Leo Frankowski. > > I read _The Cross-Time Engineer_ at some point. That’s it! Thank you! (Dang, the new system doesn’t let you do that “The SDMB hive mind comes through in 16 minutes!” thing anymore. I had no idea there were that many books in the series, must see which can still be gotten. Oh, and I loved “Three Hearts and Three Lions,” too. I should have put that that wasn’t the answer in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/6 "2021-01-26T18:46:03Z")
If you hover over the time since the post, you see the post time. Your post: 12:26pm My Reply: 12:33pm So elapsed time: 7 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/7 "2021-01-26T19:47:47Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I read _The Cross-Time Engineer_ at some point. I think I read the first couple of books and the story seemed to be getting progressively more self-indulgent (e.g. less about industrialization and more about a schlubby middle-aged guy having sex with hot women). I much preferred de Camp’s “Lest Darkness Fall”. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/8 "2021-01-26T20:20:50Z")
Read the first 4 or 5 books and skip the rest. Anything that deals with the time _after_ the Tartar invasion is total crap. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2021, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/9 "2021-01-26T23:37:06Z")
As an aside, if you’re a fan of the time-traveling engineer genre, check out @CalMeacham’s The Traveler. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2021, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/10 "2021-01-27T01:00:53Z")
Oh – Thank you so very much. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/11 "2021-01-28T03:29:08Z")
Why is the OP hidden? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/12 "2021-01-28T03:32:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Why is the OP hidden? Must be you. I can read it. > [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > I read these book(s) back in the 70s in SF Book club editions, I think. Possibly a trilogy? At least one of the books might have had ‘Engineer’ in the title. > > The plot was basically “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”, only the hero goes back to medieval Poland, gets befriended by the king, and proceeds to introduce engineering breakthroughs and so Poland turns into the heart of science/tech/industrial innovation. (I suspect the author was of Polish ancestry and was avenging too many years of ‘backward Poles’ jokes.) > > A random bit that stuck in my mind: Somehow as a result it becomes normal for maps to be shown in an orientation other than North at the top. > > Ring any bells? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/13 "2021-01-28T03:39:57Z")
I see the name of the OP and icon, but get “ignored content”? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/14 "2021-01-28T03:41:02Z")
That usually means you put the OP on your ignore list. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/15 "2021-01-28T03:44:09Z")
nope - if i’ve got someone on ignore, their icon doesn’t show up at all. Plus, I don’t recall ever putting Starving but Strong on ignore. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/16 "2021-01-28T03:44:35Z")
You can check. Click on the OP’s name. This opens a small window. Click on their name in this small window. This sends you to their profile page. Look in the upper right corner of the profile page and it will tell you if you have them on Normal status or on Ignore. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/17 "2021-01-28T03:57:39Z")
Thanks - that works. Have no idea how that happened. ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/18 "2021-01-28T10:47:06Z")
Do you have a reference to the book? I tried to search on the title at [kobo.com](http://kobo.com) but get several books that at first sight might qualify (time travel, ‘the traveler’). ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/19 "2021-01-28T13:19:52Z")
Here it is on Kobo > **[The Traveler ebook by Stephen R. Wilk - Rakuten Kobo](https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-traveler-57)** > > Read "The Traveler" by Stephen R. Wilk available from Rakuten Kobo. Argus survived on the streets of Rome using his skill and his wits, but he had never seen anything like the Crazy Man, T... Here it is on Amazon and Kindle > **[Amazon.com: The Traveler: 9781624204319: Wilk, Stephen R.: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Traveler-Stephen-R-Wilk/dp/1624204317)** > > Amazon.com: The Traveler: 9781624204319: Wilk, Stephen R.: Books ---
**Author:** ![Tusculan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecd19e/32.png) [@Tusculan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tusculan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2021, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539/20 "2021-01-28T19:17:01Z")
Thanks, bought it. I really liked Lest darkness falls, from the description this might be a good read as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-a-sf-book-series-engineer-time-travels-poland-becomes-center-of-civilization/931539.md?page=2)