THE ADVENTURES OF AN ENGINEER. London: James Bowen, 1898. Octavo, pp. [i-vii] viii [9] 10-245 [246: blank] [247-256: ads], four inserted plates with illustrations by George Hutchinson, original pictorial blue cloth, front and spine panels stamped in black, white, tan and gold. First edition. A mixed collection of seventeen stories featuring Richard Felton, a consulting engineer, largely adventure and mystery, but including several science fiction invention stories; "The Ruler of the World" (super airship), "Byng's Annihilator" (man-steered torpedo), and "The Motor Battle-Car" (electrically operated tank). "... Hyne wrote in several genres but seemed to have a special fondness for his essays in the fantastic ... he remains an eminently readable author ... there is an occasional subtle irony in his work which gives his best stories a freshness and an individuality which should not be underestimated. He is a more interesting writer than his diminishing reputation suggests." - Survey of Modern Fantasy Literature II, p. 919. For connoisseurs of fantastic fiction, not as strong a collection as his earlier companion volume THE ADVENTURES OF A SOLICITOR (1898), but a far scarcer book. Bleiler, Science-Fiction: The Early Years 413. Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), p, 607. Locke, A Spectrum of Fantasy, p. 50. Stableford, Scientific Romance in Britain 1890-1950, pp. 128-29. Suvin, Victorian Science Fiction in the UK, pp. 71-2. Not in Bleiler (1948; 1978) or Reginald (1979; 1992). Hubin (1994), p. 158. Cloth bubbled (as is often the case), top edge of text block dusty, gold stamping on spine panel just a bit dull, a very good copy. A nice copy of a uncommon book. (#165295).
Price: $1,250.00
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