Hayward, William Stephens
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.
(1835-1870) UK author, responsible for many adventure novels published in book form between 1863 and 1886, whose sf novel, The Cloud King, or Up in the Air and Down in the Sea (February-August 1863 The Boys' Journal as "The Cloud King; or, The Adventures of Charley Skyflier"; 1865), features a Balloon trip to an African Lost World in which low Gravity seems to help keep the natives from ageing, and which has Underground facilities, including access to the centre of the earth. Jess Nevins suggests in The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Victoriana (2005) that this novel is of note for its extremely early use, in the history of the Lost Race novel, of the "outsider falls in love with native royalty" storyline. The Golden Reef; Or, a Dive for Half-a-Million (1869 The Young Gentlemen of Britain; 1881) also takes a young protagonist to the South Seas, where a mysterious new metal is discovered. [JC]
see also: Boys' Papers.
William Stephens Hayward
born Long Wittenham, Berkshire: 8 August 1835
died Long Wittenham, Berkshire: 6 August 1870 [possibly died in Brighton]
works
- The Cloud King, or Up in the Air and Down in the Sea: Being a History of the Wonderful Adventures of Victor Volans (London: Darton and Stodge, 1865) [hb/]
- The Golden Reef; Or, a Dive for Half-a-Million (London: Charles H Clarke, 1881) [George Locke has expressed some doubt that this is the original edition, but was unable to trace any earlier issue: none has since been uncovered: Clarke's Standard Novel Library: pb/]
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