A Tale of Negative Gravity: An brilliant inventor struggles with the morality of his creation

His father, a Methodist minister, discouraged Stockton’s literary career from an early age. Feeling unable to go against those wishes it was for many years that Stockton’s income was maintained as a wood engraver.

His first work was published in 1867 and his first collection only appeared in 1870. Despite this late arrival Stockton’s innovative and often far-fetched stories, with a gentle ‘poking fun’ humour were very popular. Like his contemporary Mark Twain he avoided the scolding, hectoring and moral tones of many other authors and instead gently teased and cajoled his reader to open their eyes to the ills, the greed and the ambitions of the world around them. His sci-fi stories in particular were far-seeing and inventive including a tale of negative gravity and a bloodless Anglo-US war won by technological feats.

Perhaps his most enduring tale though is ‘The Lady, or the Tiger?’ from 1882. A condemned man is given a choice of being eaten alive or marrying his princess lover. But he has to choose which door each is behind.

Frank R Stockton died in Washington, DC, on 20th April 1902, of a cerebral haemorrhage. He is buried at The Woodlands in Philadelphia.