Death Rays and the Popular Media 1876-1939: A Study of Directed Energy Weapons in Fact, Fiction and Film

Fanning, William J., Jr.

ISBN 10: 0786499222 / ISBN 13: 9780786499229

Published by McFarland Publishing, 2015

About this Item

274 pages. 9.00x6.00x0.75 inches. In Stock.

Seller Inventory # x-0786499222

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Death Rays and the Popular Media 1876-1939: A Study of Directed Energy Weapons in Fact, Fiction and Film
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Publication Date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786499222
• ISBN 13: 9780786499229
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Brand New
• Weight: 0.39 kilograms

About this title

Synopsis

Death rays! Absurd idea peddled by con artists and amateurs and promoted by a sensationalist press? Not quite. Government and military leaders and mainstream scientists endorsed the possibility of such a fantastic weapon in the years before World War II.

A concept born out of research with electricity and other energy sources, the death ray or "directed energy weapon" was widely reported for nearly five decades. Claims for its invention appeared as early as 1876, and increased thereafter, until the "death-ray craze" of the 1920s and 1930s. The idea influenced fiction, making its way from newspapers and magazines into novels, short stories, films, theatrical productions and other media. This book takes a first-ever look at the historical death ray and its impact on fiction and popular culture.

About the Author

William J. Fanning, Jr., teaches history at All Saints' Episcopal School in Fort Worth, Texas, and has written for the Journal of Military History. His primary research area has been the German army in World War II.