Edisonade

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"Edisonade" is a modern term, coined in 1993 by John Clute in his & Peter Nicholls' The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction, for stories based around a brilliant young inventor and his inventions, many of which would now be classified as science fiction. This sub-genre started in the Victorian and Edwardian eras and had its apex of popularity during the late 1800's and early 1900's.^[1] Other related terms for fiction of this type include invention fiction, scientific romances and Voyages Extraordinaires. The term is an eponym, named after famous inventor Thomas Edison, formed in the same way the term "Robinsonade" was formed from Robinson Crusoe.

Usually first published in cheaply-printed dime novels, most such stories were written to appeal to young boys, the works of Jules Verne being a notable exception. The Edisonade formula was an outgrowth of the fascination with engineering and technology that arose near the end of the 1800's, and a derivative of the existing Robinsonade formula.

One frequent theme in Edisonades was the confrontation of "savage," non-white tribes, and their subsequent and somewhat casual slaughter by the Caucasian hero and/or his inventions. A related theme was the exploration of little-known, "untamed" parts of the world. To that degree, the stories reflected the contemporaneous era of large-scale colonization and exploration. Early Edisonade novels often include implicit racism, sexism, and imperialism, common to the culture of the time.^[2]

Clute defines the word in his book:

As used here the term ‘edisonade' - derived from Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) in the same way that ‘Robinsonade' is derived from Robinson Crusoe - can be understood to describe any story which features a young US male inventor hero who uses his ingenuity to extricate himself from tight spots and who, by so doing, saves himself from foreign oppressors.^[2]

and he defines it again in a column referring to "The Plutonian Terror" by Jack Williamson written in 1933:

It is an Edisonade, a paradigm kind of science fiction in which a brave young inventor creates a tool or a weapon (or both) that enables him to save the girl and his nation (America) and the world from some menace, whether it be foreigners or evil scientists or aliens; and gets the girl; and gets rich.^[3]

A later adaptation or derivative of the Edisonade was Space Opera, such as The Skylark of Space novels of E. E. Doc Smith^[4], and some of the Robert A. Heinlein juvenile novels draw from the genre.

Edisonade-style novels have continued to be published, though in much smaller numbers.^{[citation needed]} Most uses of the term refer to stories written in the 1930's or earlier.^[5]

[edit] Examples

The earliest example of the genre as expressed in juvenile fiction is considered to be "The Huge Hunter, or the Steam Man of the Prairies" by Edward S. Ellis (1868), featuring fictional inventor Johnny Brainerd. (The word steam appeared frequently in Edisonade titles of the 19th Century.)

The Frank Reade series first appeared in 1876, written by Harold Cohen (1854-1927) under the pseudonyms Harry Enton and "Noname." After four titles, the series was continued as the adventures of Frank Reade, Jr., written by ultra-prolific boys' fiction author Luis P. Senarens as "Noname".

The original Tom Swift series of juvenile books are the examples of the genre best known today.

A series of stories featuring "Tom Edison, Jr." by Philip Reade were published between 1891 and 1892.

The Jack Wright series was created and written by by Luis Senarens. The character first appeared in 1891, and was the subject of 121 stories.

Thomas Edison himself was the main character in Edison's Conquest of Mars by Garrett P. Serviss (1898), an unauthorized sequel (in the form of a revenge fantasy) to Wells's The War of the Worlds. Another real and famous inventor to appear in one of the stories was Nikola Tesla in To Mars With Tesla; or, the Mystery of the Hidden World.

Five stories about the Edisonade character named Electric Bob were published in 1893, written by Robert T. Toombs, which added a touch of wittiness and oddity to the genre. These stories are:
- 1. "Electric Bob and His White Alligator; or, Hunting for Confederate Treasure in the Mississippi River"
  2. "Electric Bob's Big Black Ostrich; or, Lost on the Desert"
  3. "Electric Bob's Revenue Hawk; or, the Young Inventor among the Moonshiners"
  4. "Electric Bob's Big Bicycle; or, the Nerviest Boy in the World"
  5. "Electric Bob's Sea-Cat; or, the Daring Invasion of Death Valley"