A Drama in the Air
Encyclopedia
"A Drama in the Air" is an adventure short story
by Jules Verne
.
The story was first published in August 1851 under the title "Science for families. A Voyage in a Balloon" ("La science en famille. Un voyage en ballon") in Musée des familles
with five illustrations by Alexandre de Bar. In 1874, with six illustrations by Émile-Antoine Bayard
, it was included in Doctor Ox
, the only collection of Jules Verne’s short stories published during Verne’s lifetime. The first English translation by Anne T. Wilbur was published in May 1852 in "Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature" and it was the first ever work by Jules Verne translated into English language.
, a stranger jumps into its car. The unexpected passenger only intent is to take the balloon as high as it will go, even at the cost of his and pilot's life. The intruder takes advantage of the long journey to recount the history of incidents related to the epic of lighter-than-air
travel.
This short story foreshadows Verne's first novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon
.
the book goes to be short stories by jules verne
as "A Drama in Mid-Air" (translated by Abby L. Alger) in
as "A Drama in the Air" (translated by George M. Towle) in
as "A Drama in the Air" (translated by Andrew Jackson Brown) in
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by Jules Verne
Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the science fiction genre. He is best known for his novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea , A Journey to the Center of the Earth , and Around the World in Eighty Days...
.
The story was first published in August 1851 under the title "Science for families. A Voyage in a Balloon" ("La science en famille. Un voyage en ballon") in Musée des familles
Musée des familles
Musée des familles was an illustrated French literary magazine that was published in Paris from 1833 to 1900. It was founded by Émile de Girardin....
with five illustrations by Alexandre de Bar. In 1874, with six illustrations by Émile-Antoine Bayard
Émile Bayard
Émile-Antoine Bayard was born November 2, 1837, in La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, Seine-et-Marne. A student of Léon Cogniet, he is best known by many for his illustration of Cosette from Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. He died in Cairo in December 1891...
, it was included in Doctor Ox
Doctor Ox
Doctor Ox is a short-story collection by Jules Verne first published in 1874 by Pierre-Jules Hetzel.It consists of four varied works of Verne's youth:*"Une fantaisie du docteur Ox" Doctor Ox is a short-story collection by Jules Verne first published in 1874 by Pierre-Jules Hetzel.It consists of...
, the only collection of Jules Verne’s short stories published during Verne’s lifetime. The first English translation by Anne T. Wilbur was published in May 1852 in "Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature" and it was the first ever work by Jules Verne translated into English language.
Plot outline
Just as the narrator starts the ascent of his balloonBalloon (aircraft)
A balloon is a type of aircraft that remains aloft due to its buoyancy. A balloon travels by moving with the wind. It is distinct from an airship, which is a buoyant aircraft that can be propelled through the air in a controlled manner....
, a stranger jumps into its car. The unexpected passenger only intent is to take the balloon as high as it will go, even at the cost of his and pilot's life. The intruder takes advantage of the long journey to recount the history of incidents related to the epic of lighter-than-air
Lighter than air
Lighter than air refers to gases that are buoyant in air because they have densities lower than that of air .Some of these gases are used as lifting gases in lighter-than-air aircraft, which include free balloons, moored balloons, and airships, to make the whole craft, on average, lighter than air...
travel.
This short story foreshadows Verne's first novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon
Five Weeks in a Balloon
Five Weeks in a Balloon, or, Journeys and Discoveries in Africa by Three Englishmen is an adventure novel by Jules Verne.It is the first Verne novel in which he perfected the "ingredients" of his later work, skillfully mixing a plot full of adventure and twists that hold the reader's interest with...
.
the book goes to be short stories by jules verne
Publication history
as "A Voyage in a Balloon" (translated by Anne T. Wilbur) in- 1852 - "Sartain’s Union Magazine of Literature"
as "A Drama in Mid-Air" (translated by Abby L. Alger) in
- 1874 - From the Clouds to the Mountains, Boston: Gill
as "A Drama in the Air" (translated by George M. Towle) in
- 1874 - Dr. Ox and Other Stories, Boston: Osgood
- 1876 - A Winter Amid the Ice, and Other Stories, London: Sampson Low
- 1911 - Works of Jules Verne, Vol.1, New York: Vincent Parke, ed. Charles F. Horne
- 1964 - Dr. Ox, and Other Stories, London: Arco/Westport, CT: Associated Booksellers: Fitzroy Edition, ed. I. O. Evans
- 1999 - The Eternal Adam, and other Stories, London: Phoenix, ed. Peter Costello
as "A Drama in the Air" (translated by Andrew Jackson Brown) in
- 2003 - A Fantasy of Dr. Ox, London: Hesperus
External links
- Illustrations by Émile-Antoine Bayard
- Un drame dans les airs available at Jules Verne Collection