Does anyone remember a character named Leonard Vincent?

[Rhino]

I was talking to a good friend today about a story idea he had involving
Leonardo da Vinci. During the course of the discussion, I had a
flashback to a story I read - or very possibly just heard about - which
had the premise that a contemporary American scientist named Leonard
Vincent was somehow sent back in time via a time machine and was
stranded in the 15th century. He continued to practice his craft - as
best he could - and became famous in history as Leonardo da Vinci.

Does anyone know what story this was and who wrote it?

I have a vague suspicion it might have been a Heinlein short story but
it's very possible I'm wrong. I'm sure many of you have read widely in
SF. Do any of you recognize that story, regardless of whether it was
Heinlein?

--
Rhino

[MajorOz]

Not H.....but I can't -- in my dotage -- recall author or title.

[John David Galt]

On 2016-04-02 17:18, Rhino wrote:
> I was talking to a good friend today about a story idea he had involving
> Leonardo da Vinci. During the course of the discussion, I had a
> flashback to a story I read - or very possibly just heard about - which
> had the premise that a contemporary American scientist named Leonard
> Vincent was somehow sent back in time via a time machine and was
> stranded in the 15th century. He continued to practice his craft - as
> best he could - and became famous in history as Leonardo da Vinci.
>
> Does anyone know what story this was and who wrote it?

Heinlein, "The Door Into Summer".

[a425couple]

"John David Galt" <j...@diogenes.sacramento.ca.us> wrote in...

I believe that. But I am not positive
(I have not seen it in black & white print in my book, yet).

I see a google search result that claims 'Leonard Vincent'
is in a 'Heinlein' book, "The Door into Summer" on
page 221.
https://books.google.com/books?id=Re6dAOiyJP4C&q=Leonard++Vincent+Heinlein&dq=Leonard++Vincent+Heinlein&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjbzP_P5_LLAhWilYMKHcCsBpIQ6AEILjAD
But when I looked into my paperback book,
I see that it is only 159 pages long.

But, this also claims it,
http://www.heinleinsociety.org/concordance/V_HC.htm
and says:
"Leonard Vincent
A graduate student who persuaded Hubert Twitchell to send
him 500 years either forward or backward in time. Daniel Boone Davis
mused over the similarity of his name to Leonardo da Vinci.
(The Door Into Summer)"

[Rhino]

Thank you VERY much! I had this nagging feeling it was Heinlein but I
couldn't remember for sure. It's obviously been too many years since I
read The Door Into Summer :-)

--
Rhino

--
Rhino

[Chris Zakes]

"Door Into Summer" has been mentioned, but you may also be thinking of
"Twice in Time" by Manly Wade Wellman, where a fellow named Leo
Thrasher goes back in time and becomes da Vinci.

-Chris Zakes
Texas
--

GNU Terry Pratchett
Mind how you go.

[Rhino]

I've never *heard* of Manly Wade Wellman or anything he (?) wrote :-)
(Please tell me that Manly is a male and that no progressive-thinking
parents named a girl "Manly".... Oh, that's a relief, I just did a look
in Wikipedia and he was a male. Quite a distinguished fellow too by the
sound of it. I've never come across his name before though, as far as I
can remember. Obviously, my knowledge of SF has some gaps in it!)

But thanks for the suggestion! Once Door Into Summer was mentioned, I
realized that was *exactly* where I heard of Leonard Vincent and the
idea that he might have been sent back into time and become Leonardo da
Vince. I'm still kicking myself for not having recognized it since Door
Into Summer is perhaps my favourite of the "smaller" Heinlein novels (as
opposed to the "big" ones like Stranger in a Strange Land and Time
Enough for Love).


--
Rhino

[Chris Zakes]

On Mon, 4 Apr 2016 11:17:33 -0400, an orbital mind-control laser

Wellman is probably best-known for his "John the Balladeer"
stories--not really SF, they're short stories with a supernatural
theme, set in the hills and mountains of North Carolina, featuring a
wandering guitar player named John and various legendary/mythic
creatures.

I've not read "Twice in Time" in several years, and remember
little-to-nothing of the story (so I pulled it off the shelf and will
read it again in the next week or so. <G>)

[Chris Zakes]

Having now reread the story, it's okay, but not spectacular.

I do have one major quibble with it: the notion that someone who has a
bit of training in modern-rules fencing could easily beat someone who
was known as the best swordsman in the city, using a sword drom that
time period. Nope, sorry, not going to happen. Modern foils, epees and
sabers are *much* lighter and several inches shorter than swords from
the late 1400s. They're not going to move the same way, and the fencer
is going to get tired much more quickly.