#I assume you're here from Nautical Quiz - glad to have you! this was a grand old time!

[chiropteracupola]

this is such a wacky question, but what nautical media (besides the aubreyad, with which I am very familiar) features a ship doctor? I’m trying to get into more nautical media, but my main interest is really medicine. do you have any recommendations? thank you!

Okay, so there's a big one right on the tip of my brain that I feel like I'm forgetting, but here's the ones I can come up with at the moment.

Yeah, the really good and solid one is the Aubreyad, in my experience.

The Terror has a variety of interesting ship's-doctor characters, but beyond Goodsir, I wouldn't say that the narrative is really all that focused on the real doctoring aspects of it. I can't confirm at this time because that scene makes me uncomfortable, but I've heard passed around that one of the major medical scenes (an amputation) includes some of the few accuracy slip-ups in an otherwise really well-researched show.

Same with Voyage of the Narwhal - the doctor is a semi-central figure but the medical aspects are mostly glossed over in favor of focusing on the Arctic expedition aspects of the story. However, Dr. Boerhaave is still one of the more interesting characters, in my opinion, and the book as a whole is well worth reading.

Hornblower, both books and show, only really feature the medical men as very minor characters, but they're usually very fun when they are there at all, and I did get attached to them quite quickly anyway, so that's something, I guess.

If you're okay with expanding to fantasy-nautical, the Campaign: Skyjacks podcast features one of my favorite ship's doctors, Dref Wormwood, who is also a necromancer, magician, and general interesting time. However, it's also very much a fantasy actual-play tabletop podcast, which might not be to your taste.

If you want to go heavier on the medical side of things, Robert Louis Stevenson's short story The Body Snatcher is the spot for you. It's in approximately the same time frame as the rest of these, but as it isn't the slightest bit nautical, I'll skip further explanation.

There is one last absolutely excellent ship's doctor shoutout that I've got to make here, and that's Treasure Island. Livesey's probably my favorite character on this list, and he's featured close enough at the front of the story that he just might capture your attention too. It's Treasure Island. Better people than I have pitched it before.

This wasn't such a weird question - I've got a fondness for ship's doctors as well, and this was quite fun to get to think about. And if anyone reading this has other recommendations, I would love to hear them as well!

#answers from the cupola #anyone want to join my clive likers club which consists of. just me I think. #I assume you're here from Nautical Quiz - glad to have you! this was a grand old time!