Max Adeler

The Fortunate Island and Other Stories Max Adeler

This a collection of five stories, "Professor Baffin's Adventures" (retitled "The Fortunate Island"), "The City of Burlesque," "An Old Fogey," "Major Dunwoody's Leg" and "Jinnie." Bleiler comments that "The Fortunate Island" is an "excellent lost race science-fiction story . which offers a foretaste of Mark Twain's A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT." The five stories along with a play were collected in AN OLD FOGEY AND OTHER STORIES published in 1881 by Ward, Lock, & Co. The title story first appeared in BEETON'S CHRISTMAS ANNUAL, 21st SEASON, as part of a linked story series (a Christmas Annual tradition) whose collective title was THE FORTUNATE ISLAND, Adeler's contribution being titled "Professor's Baffin's Adventure." Why he appropriated the series title is unclear.