Victorian & Earlier Science Fiction/Adventure Stories that Influenced Steampunk

[RJBowman]

If this topic hasn't been done before, lets compile a list here. Not just Wells and Verne; let's list the obscure stuff.

[Rockula]

'Across the Zodiac: The Story of a Wrecked Record' - Percy Greg (1880)
Percy Greg has been credited as an originator of the 'sword and planet' subgenre of science fiction later made popular by Edgar Rice Burroughs in things like his 'Barsoom' series.

Paraphrased from Wiki:

''Greg's book details the creation and use of apergy, a form of anti-gravitational energy, and details a flight to Mars in 1830. The planet is inhabited by diminutive beings; they are convinced that life does not exist elsewhere than on their world, and refuse to believe that the unnamed narrator is actually from Earth. (They think he is an unusually tall Martian from some remote place on their planet.)

The book's narrator names his spacecraft the Astronaut.''

In 2010 a crater on Mars was named Greg in recognition of his contribution to the lore of Mars.

Despite this, and it's historical significance, I found the book extremely dull and hard going. But so many of the Victorian novels strike me the same way. They really needed better editors back then. 

[Never mind the Cogs]

Just hit this

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzArMwrFPhM

another starting point maybe....

[gaslampfantasy]

There is Jack Wright, boy inventor, in the dime novels of Luis Senarens. Wikipedia stub at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Senarens

[GCCC]

"The Ablest Man in the World", by Edward Page Mitchell, 1879.

Scientist installs a clockwork brain (explicitly stated to be superior to anything Babbage produced) into the mind of an imbecile, who then goes on to become a successful politician but potentially the next Napoleon.

Wikipedia entry here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ablest_Man_in_the_World

Jess Nevin's entry here (under "Dr. Rapperschwyll"):  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vicr.html

The story online here:  http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks06/0602521h.html#04


http://www.vaporteppa.it/catalogo/la-tachipompa-e-altre-storie/

[GCCC]

There is Jack Wright, boy inventor, in the dime novels of Luis Senarens. Wikipedia stub at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Senarens

Here's the character's Wikipedia entry, along with a list of his tales:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Wright_%28character%29

I've only found one of the stories online, "Jack Wright And His Electric Stage" (1894), here:  http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/22670

http://www.cable-car-guy.com/images/blog/2013/jack_wright_001.jpg

Jess Nevins' entry is found here:  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vicw.html

[GCCC]

Looking for the above, I found this tantalizing bit:


http://cyberneticzoo.com/tag/steam-man-fiction/

Sadly, from 1916, so just on the outside edge of our time period. The author appears to be one S. Clarke Hook, but I'm having a heck of a time finding out anything more.

[GCCC]

Well, in grade school we never learned that Jack London also wrote science fiction:

"The Rejuvenation of Major Rathbone", 1899, online here:
http://www.jacklondons.net/writings/ShortStories/rejuvenation_rathbone.html

Jess Nevins' entry here (under "Dover Wallingford", the mad scientist of the tale):
http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vicw.html


http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?29558

[GCCC]

http://memegenerator.net/instance/43929924

(No, seriously! All we're missing here is Skynet!)

Meet the terror of...The Engine!

A Mexican Mystery (1888) and The Wreck of a World (1889), "W. Grove", about a self-sufficient, seemingly sentient, murderous* train engine:
http://beyondvictoriana.com/2011/08/25/quaint-29-the-engine-from-a-mexican-mystery-by-w-grove/

I have so far been unable to locate either of these online.



*In the absence of trees, telegraph poles, or buildings, people work just fine for boiler fuel...

[GCCC]

This time, a familiar author, but a less-well known work:

"The Los Amigos Fiasco", Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1892
Found online here:  http://wondersmith.com/scifi/fiasco.htm


http://www.renegadeartsentertainment.com/audiobooks/downloads/the-los-amigos-fiasco

A very, very bad person is made invincible via electricity.

Jess Nevins' entry here (under "Duncan Warner"):  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vicw.html

[GCCC]

Across the Zodiac: The Story of a Wrecked Record - Percy Greg (1880)
Percy Greg has been credited as an originator of the 'sword and planet' subgenre of science fiction later made popular by Edgar Rice Burroughs in things like his 'Barsoom' series...

http://www.forgottenbooks.com/books/Across_the_Zodiac_the_Story_of_a_Wrecked_Record_v1_1000026023

Available online here:  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10165

Jess Nevins' entry here (under "Apergy", the anti-gravitational force that made the trip possible):  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vica.html

[GCCC]

Continuing the theme of "Those Who Got to Mars Before Burroughs":

Journey to Mars the Wonderful World: Its Beauty and Splendor; Its Mighty Races and Kingdoms; Its Final Doom, Gustavus W. Pope, 1894
Basic information here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_Mars
Read online here: 

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/37131098499437d.pdf

And it's sequel, Journey to Venus the Primeval World; Its Wonderful Creations and Gigantic Monsters, 1895
Basic information here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journey_to_Venus
Read online here: 

http://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/37131098499429d.pdf

Jess Nevins' entry on the series here (under "Lt. Frederick Hamilton", the series protagonist):  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vich.html


http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Mars-The-Wonderful-World/dp/0883551160

[GCCC]

Obscure:

Fighters from Mars, or The War of the Worlds in and near Boston "H.C. Wells", 1898. "...an un-authorized and rewritten version of The War of the Worlds, taking place in Boston...The story follows H. G. Wells' story more or less...At the time the issue about copyright law made it possible to copy Wells' famous story without suffering legal consequences."
Basic information (and source for the above quote) here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighters_from_Mars
Transcript of first three chapters online here:  http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/fight_1.htm
Scan of the original first page in the Boston Evening Post newspaper:  http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/fighters_marsp1a.htm

Edison's Conquest of Mars, Garrett Putnam Serviss, 1898. "...It was written as a sequel to Fighters from Mars, an unauthorized and heavily altered version of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds...Set after the devastating Martian attack in the previous story, the novel depicts Edison leading a group of scientists to develop ships and weapons, including a disintegration ray, for the defence of Earth. Edison and company fight the aliens in space and on Mars.."
Basic information (and source for the above quote) here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison's_Conquest_of_Mars
Read online here:  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19141
Scans of the original pages and illustrations in the Boston Evening Post newspaper:  http://durendal.org/ecom/index.html
Jess Nevins' entry here (under "Tom Edison"):  http://www.reocities.com/jessnevins/vice.html


http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/fighters_from_mars.htm


https://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/parallax/serviss/pioneer

[GCCC]

Alright...I know good and well there are more of these stories/series than have been listed so far by just the four of us who've already posted...

Step up, people!  Don't make me come down there! 

[Atterton]

The story Vril: The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton seems to have had a big impact in the victorian era. I'm not sure if any steampunk stories have been inspired by it though.

[RJBowman]

The story Vril: The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton seems to have had a big impact in the victorian era. I'm not sure if any steampunk stories have been inspired by it though.

Some people think that Theosophy was inspired by it. I do know of one 1980's era comic book that references it, but it wasn't a steampunk comic.