Pages

Monday, July 26, 2010

Post-Apocalyptic Airships, Part II

Tim, visiting from his entomological hideaway, suggested that yesterday's post about blimps being the ultimate post-apocalyptic vehicle might be improved through the use of coal-fired steam engines. Indeed it could be, Tim, indeed it could be. Jules Verne and Disney thought so, too.


It's a virtual remake of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Charles Bronson instead of Kirk Douglas and Vincent Price instead of whoever it was who played Captain Nemo. Jules Verne hypothesized helicopter airships in Master of the World in 1904. I remember reading this story in grade school in comic book form. I knew it was Jules Verne, but I never went back to read the real one.

There are plenty of good illustrations of these beasts on the Interweb Tubes. The Steampunk Tribune has a very attractive set here. You can find excellent ones which illustrated Jules Verene's original books as well.

Frank Reade, Jr., makes another good point about using airships as a post-apocalyptic vehicle. You can fish from them!

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous8:08 AM

    I dimly remember reading this in my SciFi stage:

    http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Design-Riverworld-Saga-Book/dp/0345419693

    ReplyDelete