The Begum's Fortune

Two heirs to an Indian Begum's estate -- Dr. Francois Sarrasin, a Frenchman, and Professor Schultz, a German -- split 525 million francs. With his half of the money, Sarrasin builds an ideal community called Frankville in the northwestern United States. Schultz uses his half to construct a city called Steeltown, which produces weapons of destruction. Of course, their ideologies clash . . . literally and figuratively.
Includes a new introduction by literary scholar Darrell Schweitzer, as well as an original frontispiece portrait of Jules Verne.

Jules Verne (1828-1905) is widely regarded as one of the most important French writers in literary history. His surrealist work was influential in the literary avant-garde and in 1979 he became the second most translated author in the world. He's well-known for his science fiction work and for his adventure novels. His books are considered to have helped inspire the steampunk genre.