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Cobb, Weldon J

(1849-1922) US businessman and author who specialized in dime novels (see Dime-Novel SF), working mainly in the latter decades of the nineteenth century, though he did collaborate later with Edward Stratemeyer for the Stratemeyer Syndicate on some non-fantastic tales, and the borderline The Boys of the Wireless (1912) as by Frank V Webster (see Radio Boys). Tales of sf interest include A Wonder Worker, or The Search for the Splendid City (23 June-25 August 1894 Golden Hours; 1907), which combines travel and invention after a fashion typical of the genre, and two Edisonades, At War With Mars, or The Boys Who Won (27 September-27 November 1897 Golden Hours; 1907), and To Mars With Tesla, or The Mystery of Hidden Worlds (30 March-18 May 1901 New Golden Hours anon; 1901; vt A Trip to Mars; or, The Spur of Adventure 1927), the latter tale featuring, in place of Thomas Alva Edison, his great rival Icon Nikola Tesla, in a narrative perhaps overfilled with Inventions from light-Rays to super-aeroplanes, plus a giant slingshot. Amusingly, the lad who carries most of the action goes by the name of Young Edison. As Roy Rockwood, he was responsible for an early Airplane Boys series, the Dave Dashaway sequence beginning with Dave Dashaway, the Young Aviator; Or, in the Clouds for Fame and Fortune (1913), where he proves himself able to pilot planes designed according to the Inventions of others; later volumes include Dave Dashaway and His Giant Airship; Or, a Marvellous Trip Across the Atlantic (1913), where he flies the Atlantic Ocean, and Dave Dashaway Around the World; Or, a Young Yankee Aviator Among Many Nations (1913), where he circumnavigates the globe. [EFB/JC]

see also: Frank V Webster.

Weldon James Cobb

born Chicago, Illinois: 3 July 1849

died Brookfield, Illinois: 1 July 1922

works

series

Dave Dashaway

Dave Dashaway, the Young Aviator; Or, in the Clouds for Fame and Fortune (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1913) as by Roy Rockwood [Dave Dashaway: hb/]
Dave Dashaway and His Hydroplane; Or, Daring Adventures Over the Great Lakes (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1913) as by Roy Rockwood [Dave Dashaway: hb/]
Dave Dashaway and His Giant Airship; Or, a Marvellous Trip Across the Atlantic (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1913) as by Roy Rockwood [Dave Dashaway: hb/]
Dave Dashaway Around the World; Or, a Young Yankee Aviator Among Many Nations (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1913) as by Roy Rockwood [Dave Dashaway: hb/]
Dave Dashaway, Air Champion; Or, Wizard Work in the Clouds (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1915) as by Roy Rockwood [Dave Dashaway: hb/]

individual titles

To Mars With Tesla, or The Mystery of Hidden Worlds (New York: New Golden Hours, 1901) [a volume in the New Golden Hours, causing it also to be ascribed as a magazine story: pb/]
- A Trip to Mars; or, The Spur of Adventure (New York: Street and Smith, 1927) [vt of the above: pb/]
A Wonder Worker, or The Search for the Splendid City (New York: Brave and Bold, 1907) [we choose to ascribe the reprint in Brave and Bold as sufficiently resembling a book to be so listed: pb/]
At War With Mars, or The Boys Who Won (New York: Brave and Bold, 1907) [first appeared in Golden Hours 25 September-27 November 1897: we choose to ascribe the reprint in Brave and Bold as sufficiently resembling a book to be so listed: pb/]
The Boys of the Wireless (New York: Cupples and Leon, 1912) as by Frank V Webster [hb/]

links

Entry from The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (2011-current) edited by John Clute and David Langford.
Accessed 02:41 am on 27 July 2024.
<https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/cobb_weldon_j>