Product Description
Fitz-James O'Brien lived only 33 years -- from 1828 till 1862 -- but in his brief life he left a mark that endures today. O'Brien endures because he was a remarkable writer. Remarkable indeed! He had a way of blending of hard fact with almost-fanciful fantasy, juxtaposing technology and mysticism, creating convincing and "scientific" settings that play against the otherworldly romance. For all the weird fancifulness -- these days O'Brien is read mostly as a successor to Poe -- his work has qualities we now associate with science fiction: O'Brien clearly researched the field of microscopy before he wrote _The Diamond Lens_; it reads in places like hard SF. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Worthwhile Peek into a Forebear of Science Fiction
Fitz-James O'Brien is less known a name than Edgar Allan Poe or H.P. Lovecraft, yet it should not be overlooked.In prose and verse the Irish-American who bore this name was an accomplished writer.He combined fantastic creations with the new technology contemporary to his age.For good reason he is considered a precursor of science fiction.

The Diamond Lens, the major work in the book, explores the vices of greed, obsession, infatuation, irresponsibility and duplicity in man.The work raises ethical questions pertaining to scientific advances.For example, is the loss of innocent human life ever justifiable for the advancement of science?Mr. Linley, the main character of the Diamond Lens, kills a Jew.He justifies his action by claiming it was done in the "interests of science."In this, Fitz-James is prescient, recalling in the minds of moderns the horrors of the concentration camps.

While this slim volume is in itself not the best of 19th century American fiction, it gives a survey of the themes upon whichsubsequent, better-known, authors would draw.

only one great
this collection contains one great story: what was it?. diamond lens has a good start, build up nicely, but ends up being mediocre. none of the other stories are really wort mentioning. ... Read more

Product Description
In Two Volumes. Other ISBNs in this set include: 1432512978. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: J.R. Osgood and Co. in 1881 in 978 pages; Subjects: United States; Literary Collections / General; Literary Criticism / General; Literary Criticism / American / General; ... Read more

Product Description
In Two Volumes. Other ISBNs In This Set Include: 1430467282. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: Toronto W. WarwickPublication date: 1876Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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Additional Authors: David D. Lloyd; Celia Thaxter; Brander Matthews. ... Read more

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Fitz-James O'Brien (1828-1862) was an Irish author and is often considered one of the forerunners of today's Science Fiction. While he was in college he had shown an aptitude for writing verse, and two of his poems - Loch Ine and Irish Castles - were published in The Ballads of Ireland (1856). He travelled to the United States in 1852. His earliest writings in the United States were contributed to the Lantern, which was then edited by John Brougham. Subsequently he wrote for the Home Journal, the New York Times, and the American Whig Review. His first important literary connection was with Harper's Magazine, and beginning in 1853, with The Two Skulls, he contributed more than sixty articles in prose and verse to that periodical. He likewise wrote for the New York Saturday Press, Putnam's Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the Atlantic Monthly. To the latter he sent The Diamond Lens (1858) and The Wondersmith (1859), which are unsurpassed as creations of the imagination, and are unique among short magazine stories. His other works include: Horrors Unknown (1858) and What Was It? A Mystery (1859). ... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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A Biography Of The San Francisco Newspaperman And Author Of The Diamond Lens. ... Read more

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The Diamond Lens is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Fitz James O'Brien is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Fitz James O'Brien then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beware of low-priced versions
I downloaded the free version of this book and it crashed my Kindle. I had to delete it and try a higher-priced version (which worked fine).

The story is one of the oldest pieces of real science fiction (1858). A scientist steals a diamond to make a lens for a super-powerful microscope and is driven mad by what he discovers. If you have a taste for 19th century literature, it is a pretty good read. O'Brien's "What Was It?" is also proto-science fiction and is even better.

... Read more