"Face au drapeau" by Jules Verne is a science fiction novel published in 1896. A brilliant French inventor creates a devastatingly powerful explosive weapon, but his excessive demands drive governments to reject him. Descending into madness, he's institutionalized—until a mysterious count kidnaps him to a secret island base. There, the inventor must decide whether to surrender his world-changing secret, even if it means betraying his own country. The novel reflects Verne's growing anxiety about technological progress and destructive weaponry. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
These books are free to read. Each is in the public domain in the United States; check your own country's rules before you copy or share one.
