Frank Reade, Jr., and His Engine of the Clouds: Chased Around the World in the Sky

Frank Reade, Jr., was a fictional teen-age, steampunk, inventor-hero of the late 19th century. He starred in at least 179 action dime novels. His father was featured in only four novels, and relied on steam power. Frank Jr. turned to electricity and invented about every kind of land, see and air vehicle you can imagine, including electric robots. In one story, he even ventured accidentally into space.

Frank's mother, Mary, is introduced in one of his stories. His wife, Emilie, son Frank III,...