The Electric Life

"Electricity is the Great Slave. Breath of the universe, fluid running through the Earth's veins. It wanders in space in dazzling zigzags, scratching the immensities of the ether. Now it has been seized, chained, and tamed.” The Electric Life (1893). Step into the retro-futuristic world of Albert Robida (1848-1926), the astonishingly prolific French visionary who created 60,000+ illustrations and authored or contributed to nearly 80 books. Part Jules Verne, part Voltaire, Robida's witty satire imagines a 1950s where flying machines dock atop cathedrals and families argue via video-telephones, while bodies waste away from "electric life" exhaustion. Here is a new and original translation from the French, refined and expanded for maximum readability for an English-speaking audience, alongside over 100 of Robida's delightful drawings, combining to create what is arguably the first ever science fiction graphic novel - originally penned in 1893, now modernized for 2025. With delightful humor masking serious warnings, he depicts women running stock exchanges and scientists deploying germ warfare for profit—all while pollution chokes cities and citizens retreat to recreated 19th-century villages for respite. A masterpiece that entertained Belle Époque readers while prophetically warning them of modernity's seductive perils. In this updated and expanded version you will be delighted 100+ original sketches, sharpened and brightened for best print viewingImproved translation and readability to enhance the story and character interactionsExtensive chapter notes to contextualize Robida's biting satire and historical referencesNew introduction, author biography and full bibliographyTime Warp Editions is committed to preserving and refining classic works of literature and making them accessible and enjoyable for a modern audience.