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Re: Luis Senarens and Verne

From: <spaceart~at~att.net>
Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 17:14:14 +0000
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

I address the Senarens/Verne question in an essay included in "Extraordinary Voyages" (as well as in some greater length in the Verne fanzine I published some 40-odd years ago, Dakkar). The gist of the argument is this:

1. That there is sufficient evidence to show what the true inspiration was for the Albatross. This was Verne's active participation in the aviation society founded by Nadar and others. In the novel, Verne meticulously catalogs his fellow members and their work on heavier-than-air flight---and helicopteral flight in particular. In addition, he includes many heavier-than-air flight proponents from other nations. Verne's participation in the society as well as the work of those members who most influenced the design of the Albatross all took place well before any contact with Senarens. In short, the Albatross has a pretty clear pedigree.

2. The design of the Albatross emulates specific features of two or three of the most important machines developed by society members...in particular that of de la Landelle, whose flying machine the Albatross closely resembles. On the other hand, the resemblances of the Albatross to Senarens' machines is in fact superficial.

3. Given how quickly dime novels could be gotten into print, if there was in fact an influence taking place between Verne and Senarens it is more likely to have flowed from France to America than vice versa, with Senarens simply beating Verne into print with Verne's own idea.

R

--
Black Cat Studios
http://www.black-cat-studios.com
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: James Keeline <keeline~at~yahoo.com>
>
> --- Cristian Tello <destro777~at~hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > Luis Senares, a young autor of Science Fiction of century XIX in United
> > States was the creator of the airship similar to Albatros. We can see the
> > issue of this story for the magazine Frank Reade, here:
> >  
> > http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Social/pulps/SH12G1.htm
> >  
> > Some sources say that Verne and Linares wrote each other, this is true?,
> > really the Linares' airship was used as inspiration by Verne to create his
> > Albatros?
> >  
> > On the other hand, what is the meaning of ROBUR, maybe some word in latin
> > similar to NEMO=NOBODY?
> >  
> > Best regards from Peru
> >  
> > Ing. Cristian Tello
> 
> Lu Senarens is closely associated with the "Noname" author of the Frank Reade
> Jr. stories.  These were often classed as "dime novels" in the United States
> (comparable to the British "penny dreadful") even though they frequently sold
> for 5 cents instead of 10 cents.  The earliest dime novels sold for ten cents,
> of course.
> 
> Many dime novels, and their close cousin the story paper, came out on a weekly
> basis.  There was a great deal of pressure to produce new and novel stories all
> the time.  The most prolific writers were prized by the publishers, of course.
> 
> Prior the Frank Reade, Jr. stories which appeared in a very long series, there
> were a handful of Frank Reade [Sr.] stories.  These earlier tales tend to
> center on steam-powered inventions.  The first was a mechanical steam man. 
> Prior to this story was another steam man story by Edward S. Ellis.  These
> steam man stories were inspired by a variety of claims in newspapers by
> inventors who said they had constructed devices along this line.
> 
> The Frank Reade, Jr. stories have a number of Vernian themes and there are long
> sequences of stories with electric submarines, fantastic land vehicles and
> airships.  The story which is most similar to Verne's Clipper of the Clouds is
> "Frank Reade, Jr., and His Queen Clipper of the Clouds."  My copy is a
> facsimile reprint of an 1893 reissue of the story in the Frank Reade Library. 
> The main story spans two issues.  Even this facsimile is on cheap pulp paper so
> it is brittle and I have not read this copy.
> 
> I've corresponded with J. Randolph Cox, the editor of the DIME NOVEL ROUND-UP
> and author of the DIME NOVEL COMPANION, about this topic.  He found that
> several of the illustrations for the Verne story were used in the Frank Reade
> story.  Of course, since the plot is different, there are many new
> illustrations.
> 
> It is my understanding that Jules Verne didn't read English so unless Senarens
> corresponded in French (possible though not known to be true), it would be hard
> for them to communicate.
> 
> I would imagine that Verne's story was serialized prior to the French book
> publication.  Comparing the date and illustrations in this with the Senarens
> story would be helpful in establishing which story (or simply illustrations)
> inspired the other.
> 
> The writers of stories for dime novels and story papers routinely took material
> from other publications, especially newspapers.  In a number of cases long
> passages are lifted directly from these sources.  Some years back I wrote about
> the similarities in plot between Verne's TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEAS
> and Bracebridge Hemyng's DICK LIGHTHEART AT SEA.  The latter story was copied
> very closely in a story owned by Edward Stratemeyer called "The Wizard of the
> Deep" by "Roy Rockwood" and published in book form as THE WIZARD OF THE SEA.
> 
> Was Verne's "Clipper of the Clouds" serialized?  
> If so, where and when and did it have the same illustrations seen in the book?
> Is there any known correspondence between Luis Senarens and Jules Verne?
> Does the publisher correspondence indicate any source of inspiration for
> Verne's story?
> 
> James
> 
> 
> James D. Keeline
> http://www.Keeline.com  http://www.Keeline.com/articles
> http://Stratemeyer.org  http://www.Keeline.com/TSCollection

Received on Tue 04 Sep 2007 - 20:14:32 IDT

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