Master of the World [Paperback]

Jules Verne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1993

"It was seen first in North Carolina, or something was, smoking up from a mountain crater. With blinding speed, it roared past cars on a Pennsylvania road. It skimmed the Atlantic, then at the flick of its captain's will dove beneath the waves...It was the "Terror"...ship, sub, plane, and land vehicle in one and a letter from its inventor claimed that with it, he would rule the world." Long recognized as a truly prophetic science fiction classic, this exciting adventure was also Verne's last novel.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Troll Communications (September 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816704597
• ISBN-13: 978-0816704590
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,430,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of Verne's best novels., June 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Master of the World (Paperback)

This book is nothing like the movie with Vincent Price, which is actually a strange combination of both "Master of the World" and "Clipper of the Clouds". The story mainly follows the adventures of U.S. secret agent John Stark as he tries to solve the strange appearances of a fantasy craft along the eastern American seaboard. Robur doesn't make an appearance until the last quarter of the book, but its an exciting read. The chase across Lake Ontario and Robur's escape over Niagara Falls is one of the most memorable scenes from the book. The Terror definately stands out as one of the best of Verne's incredible machines since the Nautilus.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Above and Beyond Humanity!, June 11, 2002

By 

Plume45 "kitka12345" (Westchester, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master of the World (Paperback)

This 127-page novella presents another scientific genius gone amuck--like Dr. Moreau or Dr. Jekyll. The 19th century placed implicit faith in Science and the reasoning power of the human
brain. Yet by the end of the 1800's France's leading exponent of sci fi literature was beginning to question man's ability to make proper use of the inventions of his fertile mind: to benefit--not harm or enslave--his fellow men. Choosing to make his protagonist an American, JV sets the entire story in the New World--perhaps a tribute to Yankee ingenuity. Yet discerning readers will detect inevitable hints of his Gallic predilection.

John Strock of the not yet so-called FBI is assigned by its director to investigate strange and frightening circumstances at the Great Eyrie--an inaccessible basin (or volcanic crater?) in the remote Blue Ridge Montains of North Carolina. (European readers would be well advised to consult an atlas of the USA, to better follow the various chase scenes.) Inexplicable phenomena are reported in other regions of the alarmed country--both on land and on sea. Some arrogant scientst has invented a four-way transforming vehicle with which he plans to rule the world and even challenge the elements. Can no one prevent this self-proclaimed Master of the World from carrying out his inhumane threats? From Man of the Hour he is quickly relegated to Public Enemy #1, becoming the object and focus of intense federal investigation. Curious, determined and dedicated to the safety of the public, John Strock and associates are ready to pursue him--on, over or under the continent. If the devil did not exist, would man find it necessary to invent him? This story is a shade dark, but reads well enough until the last third of the book, where there is practically no dialogue. Still, an interesting tale, reflecting the author's disillusion with the the world. Captain Nemo carried to extreme.