The Chase of a Comet
AUTHOR:
Luis Philips Senarens published under the pseudonym “Noname” among other pseudonyms include: Kit Clyde, W. J. Earle, Police Captain Howard, Don Jenardo, andNed Sparling. Although in his obituary he claimed to have used 27 pseudonyms. He was said to have published his first book at 14 in the Boys of New York and was the editor in chief for Tousey’s publications from 1985 to 1923. He began writing the Frank Reade series after Harry Enton ceased writing. “Noname” created the young inventor Frank Reade Jr. and his adventures. Other stories he wrote were for the Boys of New York, Happy Days and Jack Wright for the series Boys of New York, Boys Star Library & Golden Weekly. He contributed his work to Old King Brady with Secret Service and Young Wild West Weekly. He was later published in the Pictorial Printing Co.’s Nickel Library and Border Boys Library. (Cox 237)
CHARACTERS:
Professor Alexis Mendon – of American School of Science, has dedicated his life to the study of science and finds the Hopkins Comet is back in our orbit after 50 years.
John Vance – Professor Mendon’s assistant in the lab.
Jack Mendon – Professor Mendon’s son who is also an advocate for science and travels with the professor in search of a better view of the Hopkins Comet
Frank Reade Jr. – Famous inventor who perfected the submarine boat and the electric horse.
Barney O’Shea – Is Frank Reade Jr.’s Irish companion who is also known as an up and coming genius.
Pomp – is referred to as Frank’s Negro companion and is the mechanic among Frank’s inventions.
Captain Briggs – the captain of the Storm King or the vessel used to travel the professor and his son to and from the South Pole.
SETTING:
The Chase of a Comet begins at the observatory in Washington with Professor Alexis Mendon and his assistant Jack Vance. The Professor and his son leave on the Storm King for the South Pole. Frank Reade Jr., and his two companions: Pomp and Barney the Irishman leave from Readestown on their airship the Flash.
PLOT SUMMARY:
The chase of a Comet begins in Washington in the American School of Science’s observatory, where Professor Mendon has noticed the return of the Hopkins Comet. Professor Mendon proposes that he travels to the South Pole hearing the news, his son Jack refuses initially to his father’s departure but in the name of science they both agree to sacrifice their lives to travel to the South Pole. They take the Storm King and sail south.
Upon hearing the news of traveling scientist in the papers, Frank Reade Jr. and his crew prepare and take off in their air-ship, the “Flash”. The Flash arrives in the Antarctic during the winter and encounter the Storm King wedged in ice plates. Frank speaks to the captain who informs Frank of the scientist whereabouts, that they proceeded further south with their balloon. The Flash proceeds after the two scientists and upon finding them, Frank then decides that he also wants to see the comet. The scientists bring aboard their reflectors and with the technology from Frank’s submarine boat to protect their lungs and bodies they begin traveling up and away from the Earth.
The comet splits into two next to the Flash! They follow the portion that is falling to Earth to discover the true material of the comet as it lands in a lake. The crew heads back for the Storm King and in the midst are hit with a blizzard and the Flash is taken down in front of the Strom King. To save themselves they construct rafts and begin floating in the ocean. In the end the rafts float for 4 months and land in New Zealand and they are all taken back to their respective homes. The scientists go to New York with their findings and Frank to Readestown with a mission to construct a stronger and better air-ship.
THEMES:
The main theme is adventure among the stars with innovative technologies. The dime novel depicts race with Pomp on page 4, “That the darky had done down to his death seemed certain.” And “Shure, if he had a black face it was a white heart he had,” both comments from Frank on Pomp’s disappearance. (“NONAME”)
CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS:
The Chase of a Comet is a great short science fiction story. In the story two American scientist travel to the South Pole to observe a cosmological mystery, the comet with their telescopes and are later found by the inventor, Frank Reade Jr. and his two companions. As Browne states, dime novels are a record of the attitudes that prevailed in the United States from 1860 to 1915. Racial stereotypes, political opinions and gender issues are prominent in these stories. (Browne, 216). The technology they used in this story was an airship that was able to go into space using submarine technology. Landon refers to technology being linked to racism as America’s first science fiction tales, as Pomp, the African American and Barney, the Irishman are two of Reade Jr.’s hands-on staff. They are able to manipulate and operate the machinery that Frank invents. As a result, the science fiction genre became popular and the Frank Reade Library soon became a well-known series of dime novels.
Work Cited
Browne, Ray B. "Dashing Diamond Dick and Other Classic Dime Novels by J. Randolph Cox, Ed and American Supernatural Tales by S.T. Joshi, Ed." Journal of American Culture 31.2 (2008): 216-7. Print.
Cox, J. Randolph. The Dime Novel Companion: A Source Book. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000. Questia. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Landon, Brooks. "Dime Novels and the Cultural Work of Early SF." Science Fiction Studies 36.2 (2009): 198-. Print.
Senarens, Luis. The Chase of a Comet: Or, Frank Reade, Jr.'s Most Wonderful Trip with His New Air-Ship the "flash". New York: F. Tousey, 1895. Print.