Capped by a silver figure of Cerberus, the three-headed hound that
guards the gates of Hell, an ancient glass vial contains
ordinary-looking dust. Once inhaled, however, the dust exhibits
extraordinary powers, transporting a trio of adventurers from the early
twentieth century to the year 2118. The time-travelers emerge into
Philadelphia's brutal totalitarian state, where the city hall is a
temple, a statue of William Penn is worshipped as an idol, and the
citizens are crushed under the religious tyranny of the Penn Service and
its Superlatives.
This 1919 classic was the first alternate-world fantasy. Loaded with
action and humor, the imaginative extravaganza anticipates the work of
Philip K. Dick. Author Francis Stevens -- actually Gertrude Bennett, a
pioneer of science fiction and fantasy -- was praised by H. P. Lovecraft
as ranking among the top grade of writers, and her dystopian political
and social satire continues to captivate modern readers. A much-sought
rarity. -- Analog.