- Garrett P. Serviss: Edison's Conquest of Mars (1898)
- Robert William Cole: The Struggle for Empire, A Story of the Year 2236 (1900)
Edison's Conquest of Mars (Garrett P. Serviss, 1898)
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| Carcosa House 1947, Art: Russell Swanson |
Serviss' novel is sometimes hobbled by a tendency towards patriotic jingoism (or at least an embarrassingly excessive amount of praise for Thomas Edison and the United States) and frequently delivers pages of uninspired, trivial prose (it was Serviss' first novel). However, it is historically notable as probably being the first "space opera", a science-fiction genre later made very popular in the 1930s by pulp writers like E.E. Smith and Edmond Hamilton (as well as movie serials like Flash Gordon). Although H.G. Wells' novel The First Men In the Moon would not appear until 1901, in this 1898 novel Serviss actually leaps ahead of Wells' moon-trip by portraying interplanetary space fleets engaged in warfare around Mars. In fact, Robert Godwin's introduction in the Apogee edition notes that the book contains some notable "firsts" in science fiction: alien abductions, spacesuits, aliens building the Pyramids, space battles, oxygen pills, asteroid mining and disintegrator rays. The full text of the novel (with illustrations) can be found here, but a synopsis of each chapter follows. Illustrations below by "P. Stacy" (?) and Bernard Manley Jr.
- When the Martians' invasion of Earth (described in Fighters From Mars) is halted in its tracks (due to their vulnerability to the microbes native to Earth), one of their craft escapes back into space. Unfortunately, the explosive launch of this Martian projectile craft from Bergen N.J. causes great damage to the surrounding area (New York is destroyed). In time, mankind begins rebuilding what was destroyed in the war, but signs of an additional launch from the Red Planet cause concern to mount once again. However, the inventor/industrialist Thomas Edison announces that he has found a way to counter the Martians' weapons. Not only that, but Edison has also invented a flying craft (powered by the principles of electrical polarity) which can traverse the void of space. The people of Earth decide that, instead of waiting for the next Martian attack, they might as well bring the war to the Martians' own planet.
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Soon, Edison gives a public demonstration of his new weapon, a disintegrator
gun which can vibrate objects until a specific frequency is reached and the
object is dispersed into atoms. He uses the device first on a crow, and then
on part of a wrecked building in New York.
In short order, the global leaders of Earth are invited to Washington, D.C. to discuss the creation of spaceships and weapons to be used in an attack on the Martians.
- After Edison demonstrates some of his inventions to the assembly, the leaders of the world agree to fund the project. At the same time, more launches from Mars are detected by Earth telescopes.
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Six months later, Edison's "space fleet" of 100 ships is completed and ready
for flight.
Communication between ships is enabled through signal lights. Edison also develops a "space suit" which will allow men to exist in the cold airlessness of space for short periods of time. The fleet launches with a great fanfare of fireworks and heads out into space.
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Tragedy strikes when a meteor strikes one of the ships and kills some of its
crew. While visiting the moon, Edison and his fleet spot an alien watchtower
on the lunar surface, and later discover a mysterious giant footprint.
After burying the casualties of the meteor mishap, some of the men visit a lunar mountain range composed of gigantic moon crystals.
They also discover the remains of a giant's skull, but no other signs of life are detected.
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A couple days after departing from the moon, the fleet encounter a comet and
are drawn into its gravity well.
Unable to escape, the ships are dragged back towards Earth in the comet's wake, and are forced to make a premature return landing. Nonetheless, the fleet launches again almost immediately and is soon back on track to Mars. A few days later, they encounter an asteroid, where they discover a few disabled Martian spaceships on its surface.
Two of Edison's ships are then destroyed by a still-functioning Martian heat ray, forcing the remaining members of the fleet to make a brief retreat.
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The fleet cautiously re-approaches the Martian asteroid. The lone heat ray
is put out of action when Edison fires his disintegrator gun at it from the
outer deck of his ship. The other Earth ships also attack the Martians, and
in the end one of the giant creatures is captured.
The scientists of the expedition then learn that the Martians have developed oxygen pellets so that they can survive on the airless surface (an "artificial atmosphere" of sorts). More importantly, they discover that the asteroid is made of gold, and that the disabled Martian miners had apparently been the victims of either a civil war or a pirate attack.
- Soon a few additional Martian ships ("projectile vehicles" launched by explosive force from Mars) arrive on the asteroid. A battle ensues, but the Martians are eventually destroyed by Edison's maneuverable, airborne ships and their disintegrator guns. Afterwards, a few of the scientists test the low gravity of the asteroid and try to throw some gold nuggets towards Earth.
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In the following days, the crew of the fleet's flagship begin to learn how
to communicate with their captured Martian. Eventually, the fleet reaches
Mars, but when it enters the atmosphere it is immediately surrounded by
Martian airships (flying machines).
The fleet quickly retreats back out into space in order to do a survey of the surface.
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The Martians stymie the Earth fleet's plans when they create a smoke cloud
over the entire planet, hiding it from view.
In response, Edison uses a specially-fitted disintegrator ray to punch a hole through the black curtain, after which the other ships fire through, aiming at the surface. After the initial volley, the clouds return, and the Martians retaliate with their own beams.
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A great battle follows, but the Earth ships are outnumbered. After a third
of their force are destroyed (including the ship carrying their Martian
hostage), they retreat out of range of the Martian airships and ground
artillery. A Colonel named Smith comes up with a plan in which the main
force continues to pummel the dark cloud cover, while a smaller force tries
to make a secret landing on Mars in the opposite hemisphere. The chosen
ships successfully land near a red, metallic palace, and inside the crew
discover a beautiful human woman playing beautiful music on an unknown
instrument.
- The crewmen rescue the woman and obtain much-needed supplies from a Martian storehouse. After rejoining the main fleet, it is discovered that the girl speaks an ancient tongue preceding all modern languages. Lacking a plan of attack, the fleet retreats to the Martian moon of Deimos to plan a new strategy.
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Over several weeks the linguists of the expedition learn how to speak with
the girl, who is named Aina. Aina explains that her people had originally
lived on Earth, but aliens (the Martians) had arrived in their idyllic
valley and enslaved them. Then, after moving to Egypt, the Martians had
built the pyramids and the Sphinx (modeled after the Martian leader).
Eventually laid low by "pestilence", the Martians had then returned to their home planet with human slaves. Now, with Edison's expedition appearing in the skies of Mars, the Martians had just had all of their human slaves executed (except for Aina, who had been spared for her music skills).
- Aina reveals that the Martians are prepared for aerial attacks due to their conflict with the inhabitants with the asteroid Ceres. After further explanations from Aina, an expedition is mounted to breach a Martian facility which controls the flow of seawater between the north and south hemispheres. If the gate can be closed, then the Martian plains will overflow, causing massive flooding.
- Aina and a small team of men successfully reach the Martian control center. After Edison closes the gate, the waters overflow and begin causing massive destruction on the surface of the planet. After a close escape from the floodwaters, Edison and his team regroup with the fleet, after which they are immediately engaged in a battle with the Martians' flying machines. Ultimately, due to their inability to navigate in the upper atmosphere, the Martian fleet is destroyed.
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As the floodwaters reach the Martian capitol, the humans spot a 40-foot tall
woman, whom Aina identifies as a prisoner from Ceres. Unfortunately she
drowns with the other Martians, despite efforts to rescue her. When Edison's
fleet reaches the remains of the Martian Emperor's forces, they enter his
palace intending to obtain a full surrender. When a conflict arises in the
palace, another firefight breaks out. However, Edison's electric ships
(hovering above the palace) eventually overpower the Emperor's remaining
forces.
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The Emperor reluctantly surrenders and promises to refrain from attacking
Earth in the future. However, as the Earth fleet takes off, the Emperor
strikes on one of his female attendants. One of the Earth soldiers
impulsively destroys the Emperor in a disintegrator blast. Aina considers
the Emperor's fate to be justified, since he had been the one to instigate
the invasion of Earth both several thousand years ago and more recently.
- The expedition returns to Earth and is honored with many celebrations. Aina eventually marries one of the crewmen and the narrator remarks that a long-lost branch of humanity has now been reunited with modern man by way of a journey to Mars.
Links
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison%27s_Conquest_of_Mars
1947 Carcosa Edition (online)
http://durendal.org/ecom/index.html
https://travelbetweenthepages.com/2020/03/17/conquest-of-mars/
http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?88445
The Struggle for Empire, A Story of the Year 2236 (Robert William Cole, 1900)
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| Battleship designed by Eddie Del Rio for Doug Chiang's Robota project (ca. 2003). |
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| Fred T. Jane (from George Griffith's Olga Romanoff (1894)) |
In this novel, by the year 2236 the entire Solar System
has been colonized by mankind, now under the rule of an "Anglo-Saxon"
government. New advances have been made in weather control, radar, medicine,
astronomy, physics and energy production. Space travel has been made possible
through the development of anti-gravity technology to lift vehicles off of
planets, after which propellers drive ships through space by pushing against
"ether" (a gas-like substance which fills space in between the stars and
planets). These spacecraft are armed with energy weapons, tractor beams,
projectile artillery and are designed to be effective in ramming tactics.
Command units are situated in the center of ships in reinforced spherical
units, while other compartments of ships are designed to be partitioned off in
case of hull breaches. A new form of radiotelegraphy allows ships to
communicate wirelessly through space.
One day, the Anglo-Saxon Earth comes into conflict with another humanoid race based in the Sirius system, after which a territorial dispute soon leads to an all-out interstellar war. Because the Anglo-Saxon fleet is outnumbered by the Sirian force, they are eventually forced to retreat back to Earth in anticipation of total annihilation. However, at the eleventh hour, a new weapon is devised by an Earth scientist and the tides of war change.
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| Fred T. Jane (from George Griffith's The Angel of the Revolution (1893)) |
Synopsis
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Introduction: In the year 2236, mankind is made up entirely of "Anglo-Saxons", descended from the people of England, Germany and America, and
London is the capitol of the Earth government. Devotion to the "hard
sciences" has resulted in the development of technology by which man can
navigate through interstellar space and colonize other worlds. Always
seeking new territories to conquer, space-faring humanity eventually comes
into contact with a race of beings living on the planet Kairos, revolving
around the star Sirius. The people of Kairos are at the same technological
level as man, and resist having their territories invaded. Thus, a great
interstellar war occurs between the two races.
- Life In the Year 2236: One night, a young woman named Flora Houghton and her lover, Lieutenant Alec Brandon have a pleasant night on the town. Meanwhile, a scientist named James Tarrant (and admirer of Flora's) works towards a scientific break though which he believes will help him become "Master of the Universe".
- The First Note of War: One day the Anglo-Saxons discover a planet just outside Kairet's influence and begin harvesting it for its valuable resources. A space force from Kairet arrives and begins a similar operation, which eventually results in an all-out confrontation. The Earth forces are defeated and Kairet declares war on Earth. In the ensuing weeks, the Anglo-Saxons create a space fleet to intercept the Kairet, as well as reserve forces at Neptune, the moon and above London.
- The Fleets Start For Space: After Brandon bids Flora farewell, he boards his ship the Lightning and leaves Earth with the Anglo-Saxon armada.
- First Experiences of Space: On board the Lightning, Brandon helps the ship's commander monitor their journey to Neptune. On the way, two ships are lost when they collide with each other. After a brief day of relaxation at Neptune, the fleet takes off for deep space.
- The First Appearance of the Enemy: After three months, signs of enemy ships finally appear on the fleet's screens. While advance cruisers engage the Kairet in a small skirmish, the Anglo-Saxon fleet forms up in a battle line.
- The Great Battle In Space: A great battle ensues in which blasts of force beams, energy beams, tractor beams, Ednogen beams (disintegration beams) and projectile weapons clash. At one point, a Sirian force appears to break off from their main fleet. Half the Anglo-Saxon fleet breaks off to pursue this flanking group and chase it for several days back towards Earth. Eventually they discover that this secondary fleet is a visual illusion created by just a few ships. Leaving these smaller Sirian ships to the Earth defense line, the Anglo-Saxon force returns to the scene of the main battle but they only encounter wreckage with no signs of life.
- In the Thick of the Fight: Although outnumbered, the Anglo-Saxon fleet had continued to fight the Sirians in a heated battle for 4 days. On the Lightning, the captain refuses to surrender while his ship is being blown to pieces.
- The End of the Battle: With the Anglo-Saxon fleet greatly outnumbered, the Admiral orders the remains of his fleet to lure out and then charge the Sirian fleet. Although this causes great damage to the Sirians, the Anglo-Saxon fleet is totally obliterated in the end. After reinforcements arrive from Kairet, the Sirian armada continues on towards Neptune.
- A Peaceful Interval: Brandon awakes on a ship to find himself rescued by a civilian ship. While being nursed back to health, he falls in love with his benefactor, a beautiful girl named Celia Eastland. After reaching Neptune, he continues his recovery as a great battle rages on for days in the skies above.
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The Catastrophe at Jupiter: During the Jupiter battle, Anglo-Saxon
forces at Jupiter form up into a spherical formation and then charge the
Sirians in an expanding attack, causing great damage to the invaders.
However, a vacuum shockwave created from the great forces unleashed in the
earlier interstellar battle finally reaches Jupiter and causes two of its
moons to collide, wiping out both Anglo-Saxon and Sirian forces in the
region. Nonetheless, the remaining Sirian forces close in towards Earth.
- The Battle at the Moon: Anglo-Saxons hold off the Sirians for a time on the surface of the moon by using the terrain to ambush the invaders. Nonetheless, the forces are eventually ordered to retreat to Earth for a last stand.
- The Bombardment of London: While awaiting the inevitable arrival of the Sirian fleet, the Anglo-Saxon forces build underground fortresses and shipyards. When the Sirians finally arrive, they resist as best they can but London is eventually bombarded and destroyed, as well as every other major city on Earth. Afterwards the Sirians prepare to land and consolidate their conquest.
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Science To the Rescue: The scientist Tarrant develops a new weapon
which can neutralize the anti-gravity drives of spaceships with an
"Electro-Ednogen" ray. The remnants of the Anglo-saxon quickly mount these
weapons on several small torpedo boats and with several tactical strikes,
cripples the Sirian fleet. Ultimately, the Sirians are destroyed or taken
prisoner.
- The End of the War: After rebuilding their fleet, the Anglo-Saxons journey out to Kairet with their ships, newly-equipped with the Electro-Ednogen weapon. Taken by surprise, Kairet falls and is forced to surrender. The Anglo-Saxons lay out their peace terms, penalizing Kairet for the war damages.
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Conclusion: With the war over, Brandon returns to Earth to break off
his engagement with Flora, leaving her heartbroken. However, she soon finds
herself in a new relationship with Tarrant and together they are rewarded
with a Sirian planet to rule over.
Fred T. Jane (from George Griffith's The Angel of the Revolution (1893))
The Struggle for Empire, A Story of the Year 2236 at Google Books
