At the Weldon Institute in Philadelphia, a mob of zealous balloon enthusiasts plans to conquer the sky in a state-of-the-art dirigible. When a stranger, the mysterious Robur, declares that the future belongs not to balloons but to heavier-than-air flying machines, the Institute scornfully dismisses the idea. But Robur demands vengeance¿and has a unique flying machine that will allow him to take it. By turns an impassioned argument for aviation, a wild proto-steampunk adventure, and a jubilant celebration of the dream of flight, Robur the Conqueror ranks among Jules Verne¿s most iconic and influential works. Its technological speculations, including the unforgettable aircraft Albatross, are a vibrant snapshot of nineteenth-century scientific innovation. This, the first complete English translation of Verne¿s 1886 novel, includes an insightful introduction, explanatory chapter notes, never-before-published glimpses of Verne¿s original manuscript, all the first-edition illustrations by L¿ Benett, and an up-to-date Verne biography and primary and secondary bibliography. It is an essential new edition of a seminal science fiction classic.

JULES VERNE (1828-1905) was the first author to popularize the literary genre that has become known as science fiction. ALEX KIRSTUKAS has published and presented on Verne's work for both academic and popular audiences, and is a trustee of the North American Jules Verne Society as well as the editor of its peer-reviewed publication Extraordinary Voyages. ARTHUR B. EVANS is an emeritus professor of French at DePauw University and winner of the 2014 Cyrano prize for his scholarly contributions to the field of French science fiction. He has published numerous books and articles on Jules Verne and other early writers of French science fiction, serves as the managing editor of Science Fiction Studies, and is the general editor of Wesleyan's Early Classics of Science Fiction series.