In 1883, Professor William Waterman Sherman leaves San Francisco in a giant balloon, intending to spend a year in solitude over the Pacific. However, a seagull punctures his craft, forcing a crash landing on the volcanic island of Krakatoa. He discovers a secret society of twenty families who live in absolute luxury funded by a hidden diamond mine. The inhabitants have constructed a civilization based on elaborate culinary groups and inventive mechanical houses. When the volcano erupts, the entire population must evacuate on a massive flying platform held aloft by twenty-one balloons.
Readers interested in creative engineering and Victorian adventure stories find this book a study in imaginative problem-solving. It appeals to young adults who enjoy detailed mechanical descriptions, such as the "Electric House" or the physics of lighter-than-air travel. The narrative provides a clear example of utopian social organization based on cooperation rather than competition. Readers walk away understand how scientific principles can be applied to fantasy settings and how specific architectural constraints influence daily life in an isolated community.
Outward-looking and clear-cut; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1947
- Language
- EN
