Frank Reade

Lore & Background

The first Frank Reade story, *Frank Reade and His Steam Man of the Plains*, was an imitation of Edward Ellis's *The Steam Man of the Prairies* (1868). It was written by Harry Enton and serialized in the *Boys of New York* magazine from February 28 to April 24, 1876. The four Frank Reade stories involved adventures with the character's inventions, various robot-like mechanisms powered by steam.

A very long series of juvenile novels followed, featuring Frank Reade Jr., the son of Frank Reade, as its teenaged inventor-hero. These stories were written by Luis P. Senarens (1865–1939) under the pseudonym Noname. They were first serialized in *Boys of New York*, then collected in the *Frank Reade Library* series, with some later reprinted in *Wide Awake Library*.

Frank Reade Jr.'s inventions included airships of the dirigible-balloon and helicopter type, submersibles, steam-driven and electrical land vehicles, and steam- and electric-powered robots. The stories were extremely popular during their time and were often reprinted.

Reader's Guide

The Frank Reade stories are perhaps the best known of the many boys' invention fiction series published in America during the later 19th century. They established a template for the 'Edisonade' genre, featuring a young inventor who uses technology to explore and solve problems. The series' popularity led to numerous reprints and new stories as recently as 2011, in the pulp short story collection *Wildthyme in Purple*. The character Frank Reade Jr. has appeared as an older man in Alan Moore's *Nemo: Heart of Ice*, and the Reade family as a whole has been featured in Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett's *Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention*. The series' influence can be seen in later invention fiction such as the Tom Swift books.

Did You Know?

• The Frank Reade Jr. stories were written by Luis P. Senarens under the pseudonym Noname.
• New Frank Reade stories were created as recently as 2011 in the collection *Wildthyme in Purple*.