Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour

"Fifteen Hundred Miles an Hour" by Charles Dixon is a science fiction novel written in the late 19th century. The story unfolds around the ambitious Doctor Hermann and his companions who embark on a daring journey from Earth to Mars in a specially designed air carriage named the "Sirius". The book explores themes of exploration, the quest for knowledge, and the encounter with alien worlds, emphasizing the scientific advancements of the time. The opening of the narrative introduces us to Doctor Hermann, who is confident in his experimental designs for a high-speed journey through space. As he convinces his partners, John Temple and the engineer Harry Graham, to support his venture, they prepare to leave Earth. A dynamic and adventurous atmosphere is established as they face both the mysteries of space travel and the possibilities of life on Mars, amplifying excitement and tension within the story. The group encounters several challenges, including a fierce sandstorm, the discovery of a mysterious meteorite, and the ensuing suspenseful journey through the cosmos, setting the stage for the thrilling adventures to come. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Charles Dixon was an English ornithologist, born in London. He discovered the St Kilda wren and a new species in North Africa. He collaborated with Henry Seebohm on his great work on British Birds, in the second volume of which he summarized and modified A. R. Wallace's theory of the relation between nests and coloration of birds. Elliott Coues wrote in the preface to the American edition of Dixon's book "Rural bird life" pointing out the originality of the observations made from the field and Julian Huxley noted Dixon for recognizing the value of prismatic binoculars for bird study. In his later years, he wrote in the newspapers on agricultural fairs and horse shows.