By the middle 1800s, toys were appearing in forms that drew upon--and that inspired--advances in areas such as optics, biology, geography, transportation, and automation. In these decades, too, a new type of wonder tale was being brought to maturity by a Poe-inspired Jules Verne. The modern wonder tale's highly-charged vision expressed the hopes and the fears, and the delights and the traumas, engendered by "new worlds idealism"--that Western pursuit of both mechanical and geographical conquest. Exploring realms belonging to childhood, literature, science, and history, this innovative study weaves together the histories of wonder tales and children's toys, focusing specifically on their modern aspects and how they reflect and express the social attitudes of that time period beginning around 1957.

Assembled for the first time is a complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe's science fiction stories. These sixteen tales include Poe's only novel 'Arthur Gordon Pym', which is filled with fantastical thoughts on life at the south polar region. 'The Unparalleled Adventures of Hans Pfall' involves space travel and aliens, 'Some Words with a Mummy' explores the realm of alternate history and suspended animation, while 'Eureka' introduces the big bang theory eighty years before its time. Known for his tales of horror, Edgar Allan Poe shaped the building blocks of science fiction. His scientific speculation was based on mid-nineteenth century theories and understandings, but he took them to levels that no one had ever dreamed possible. Poe's stories inspired Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to dream beyond the limits of science and technology, and they are essential to an understanding of the roots of science fiction. This 352 page collectors edition includes 34 illustrations, a biography, historical reviews, articles, and an introduction by Mark Rich. This 352 page collectors edition includes 34 illustrations, a biography, historical reviews, articles, and an introduction by Mark Rich. THIS EDITION IS LIMITED TO 1000 COPIES.

Assembled for the first time is a complete collection of Edgar Allan Poe's science fiction stories. These sixteen tales include Poe's only novel 'Arthur Gordon Pym', which is filled with fantastical thoughts on life at the south polar region. 'The Unparalleled Adventures of Hans Pfall' involves space travel and aliens, 'Some Words with a Mummy' explores the realm of alternate history and suspended animation, while 'Eureka' introduces the big bang theory eighty years before its time. Known for his tales of horror, Edgar Allan Poe shaped the building blocks of science fiction. His scientific speculation was based on mid-nineteenth century theories and understandings, but he took them to levels that no one had ever dreamed possible. Poe's stories inspired Jules Verne and H. G. Wells to dream beyond the limits of science and technology, and they are essential to an understanding of the roots of science fiction. This 352 page collectors edition includes 34 illustrations, a biography, historical reviews, articles, and an introduction by Mark Rich.

When an eccentric professor acquires an ancient book, a riddle on a spare piece of parchment tucked neatly within its pages leads him and his nephew on an unparalleled adventure. The unlocked riddle brings them to a remote mountain on Iceland, where they enter an extinct volcano on a daring quest to reach the center of the earth. They soon find themselves at a giant underground ocean where the laws of science are constantly redefined and prehistoric creatures are in abundance. But in the bowels of the earth, a shocking discovery pits the travellers face to face with their own terrifying past. Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth has been read by millions of inquisitive minds and has influenced some of the worlds most famous explorers such as Admiral Byrd, who announced on his 1926 expedition to the North Pole that "it is Jules Verne who is bringing me." And renowned cave explorer Norbert Casteret said in 1938 that A Journey to the Center of the Earth was a "marvelous book which impressed and fascinated me more than any other. I have re-read it many times, and I confess I sometimes re-read it still, each time finding anew the joys and enthusiasm of my childhood." This 260 page collectors edition includes 53 illustrations, a biography, historical reviews, articles, and an introduction by Mark Rich.