a tech wiz in medieval europe

[redjac1888]

a young, fit genius inventor (doc brown or tony stark like) is accidentally transported back in time to a coastal village that is being worn down by viking raiders on one hand and a distant king's greedy taxes on the other

he uses the advanced tech with him to drive a group of raiders away and soon becomes their "mage king"

life is good when your the smartest man on earth

 

[Hypoxia]

a young, fit genius inventor (doc brown or tony stark like) is accidentally transported back in time to a coastal village that is being worn down by viking raiders on one hand and a distant king's greedy taxes on the other

he uses the advanced tech with him to drive a group of raiders away and soon becomes their "mage king"

life is good when your the smartest man on earth

See Heinlein's THE DOOR INTO SUMMER where Colorado grad student Leo Vincent is sent back 500 years and emerges as Leonardo da Vinci.

I recall some website about Geniuses Out Of Time people (mostly guys) who changed history by being too advanced for their time. Nicola Tesla? For fun, pick some notable warrior queen and posit her as a modern gal gone astray.

 

[LupusDei]

For fun, pick some notable warrior queen and posit her as a modern gal gone astray.

Or invent some. But yeah, making it a really uninhibited, self-confident athletic girl with knack on metalworking would be fun and more fresh, perhaps. Martial arts training is a must though.

I have played with going back to remake history on European scale a lot, and have concluded that the skill set you would need is rather specific and most modern artifacts you might have with you rather useless apart of establishing early personal dominance on a small scale. Afterwards it's all about adapting, and the real influence might be superficial after all.

You can be genius, but if your guardsmen refuse to use crossbows or even bows outright, out of religious or custom bullshit, deemed it under their honour...

 

[CuteSlaveLisa]

"On Tuesday please vote for Independent Candidate SHE-RA in the Governor's race.

Paid for by the committee to elect fictional characters, Rahauten Wehrmeud chair."

Love and Kisses

Lisa Ann

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court with the bawdy bits? That worked.

On the other hand, I remember reading a sci-fi short story years ago about a USAF technician stationed in Iceland somehow getting thrown back in time to its Viking days. Can’t remember title or author.

Despite being able to take apart and repair advanced radars, despite being a good shade-tree mechanic with gasoline engines, he was a total failure in Viking days as his skills were too advanced. Being able to, say, tune a car engine meant nothing since there was no way to make one - nor fuel for it if he could have. Blacksmithing skills might have been useful, but not radar maintenance skills. He died.

 

[yukonnights]

A most valuable asset for said time traveler would be his little shuttle pod so he/she could go back and forth to get more ammo or condoms or anti-viral meds, etc

 

[Hypoxia]

...I remember reading a sci-fi short story years ago about a USAF technician stationed in Iceland somehow getting thrown back in time to its Viking days. Can’t remember title or author.

Poul Anderson, The Man Who Came Early

Despite being able to take apart and repair advanced radars, despite being a good shade-tree mechanic with gasoline engines, he was a total failure in Viking days as his skills were too advanced. Being able to, say, tune a car engine meant nothing since there was no way to make one - nor fuel for it if he could have. Blacksmithing skills might have been useful, but not radar maintenance skills. He died.

Other problems: disease and injury. Modern folks ain't immune to old bugs; and antiseptics weren't available, so any skin-breakage could be fatal or at least debilitating. Otto Bettmann had it right: The Good Old Days--They Were Terrible!

But that's IRL and we're in LIT fantasyland. Stone-cold bitch Melissa rudely flies to 12th-century Levant and somehow [author exercise] takes over as Melisende, Queen of Jerusalem for 30 years (it was a Crusader kingdom) utilizing skills learnt as clique queen at a snotty private academy where she 'uselessly' studied medieval Frankish. She sexually works her way through all visiting and local nobles, war chiefs, bishops, and ambassadors, cementing her power. And her immune system is strong, have mercy! The story almost writes itself.

 

[CuteSlaveLisa]

Scheherazade with 17th to 20th century knowlege and skills would be formidable. Although it would have to be toned down a bunch for Lit.

Love and Kisses

Lisa Ann

 

[Carnevil9]

Poul Anderson, The Man Who Came Early

Also reminiscent of H. Beam Piper's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen.

 

[Hypoxia]

Scheherazade with 17th to 20th century knowlege and skills would be formidable. Although it would have to be toned down a bunch for Lit.

21st century Sherri would necessarily be a swarthy student of the classical Mideast who had memorized all the tales in original languages (Arabic, Persian, Hindi, etc) so she could tell them as known, with salacious tidbits, sure. She couldn't screw around herself -- that's what got her predecessors slaughtered. Appeal to the pecker, not the pike.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Poul Anderson, The Man Who Came Early

That's the one! Thanks.

 

[Hypoxia]

A most valuable asset for said time traveler would be his little shuttle pod so he/she could go back and forth to get more ammo or condoms or anti-viral meds, etc

I tried a bit of that in A Matter of Time. Because Heisenberg Uncertainty, each transition shifts to a slightly different universe. Go back for .45 ammo and find that it's 'now' all .42 or .48 caliber where you thought was 'home'. And condoms are only extra-small. Bother.

The other problem with an escape pod: MC isn't forced to deal with old realities and attitudes. Pre-modern times really did suck for most humans; modern folk ain't gonna like it back then. In Ye Olde Europe, not even maize corn cobs existed to wipe your shitty ass. Xian societies weren't big on sanitation or tolerance. Public executions were major entertainment. Who ya gonna burn next?

No, once a modern is transported back a couple centuries or more, they're stuck there. Authors, give them what's needed to survive more than a few days.