Frank Reade, Jr., and His Flying Ice Ship, or, Driven Adrift in the Frozen Sky
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:
Frank Reade, Jr. – main character and inventor
Pomp – African American helper of Frank Reade, Jr. and a mechanic
Barney – Frank’s Irish companion and a mechanic
Dr. Vaneyke - scientist for the Smithsonian
Walter Grey – son of Caroline Grey
Caroline Grey – mother of Walter Grey
Alfred Milburn – lawyer of the Grey family
Captain Ben Bolt – captain of the Red Eric, a whaling ship
SETTING:
The dime novel is set primarily on the Ranger, the name of Frank Reade, Jr.’s flying ice ship, on its way to Nova Scotia, which is located in the artic circle. The story starts in Boston, Massachusetts and from there to Readestown, where the Ranger begins its journey until it reaches Nova.
PLOT SUMMARY:
Walter Grey, son of Caroline Grey, gets kidnapped by Captain Ben Bolt and taken aboard his whaling vessel The Red Eric on their way to Nova. This is a part of Alfred Milburn’s master plan to become the sole inheritor of the Greys family money by having Walter stranded in the artic and Caroline falsely locked up in an insane asylum. Frank Reade, Jr. witnesses the kidnapping and gets injured trying to intervene. After recovering from the blow to his head, he meets Caroline and learns of Alfred’s mischief plan. After having Alfred arrested and vowing to rescue Caroline’s son, Franks returns to Readestown with Barney and Pomp. Before embarking, Dr. Vaneyke rushes to the Reade’s estate claiming the police are after him for murder he didn’t commit and joins the trio on their adventure just as the police knock down the doors. Aboard the Ranger, Frank Reade, Jr.’s flying ice ship, they encounter every sort of problem imaginable including freezing of the motors, a blizzard, ice breaking, bear attack, native attacks, and brawls in a whaling port. They finally find Walter Grey stranded in the sea in life boat. Shortly after the group catches up to the Red Eric, where they arrest Cpt. Ben Bolt and bring him back with them to Boston. Upon arrival Walter is returned to his mother and the captain his handed over to the authorities. Frank, Pomp, and Barney return to readestown but before safely landing they are caught in a storm where they must abandon ship. After the barely manage to, the Ranger floats of into the wild blue yonder until it crashes into the ocean. The heart of the story is a kidnapping tale where the hero takes a quest to find someone who has been taken, but within the tale are some themes.
THEME:
One underlying theme is that of karma in sense that if you do something wrong or morally bad something of equal or worse will happen to you. Dealing with class it shows that the rich are greedy, as with Alfred Milburn who was lawyer and wanted the money from the Grey’s inheritance. The theme in race was no different than any other Frank Reade story at the time with Pomp being a stereotypical African American slave from the south and Barney being a stereotypical Irish man.
Work Cited
Cox, J. Randolph. The Dime Novel Companion: A Source Book. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000. Questia. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.
Senarens, Luis. Frank Reade, Jr., and His Flying Ice Ship, Or, Driven Adrift in the Frozen Sky. New York: Frank Tousey, 1894. Print.