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At the Circulating Library

A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901

A Database of Victorian Fiction, 1837–1901

Author: George Griffith

Author: George Griffith (1857–1906)

Alternate Name(s): George Chetwynd Griffith-Jones (legal name); Lara (pseudonym); Levin Carnac (pseudonym)

Biography: George Chetwynd Griffith-Jones was born in 1857 in Plymouth, the son of the clergyman George Alfred Jones. As a boy, the family moved to Manchester where he was educated at home before being sent to school. He was apprenticed on a Liverpool merchant ship, deserted in Australia, and worked various jobs. In 1877, he returned to England and took a post as a schoolteacher in Brighton. Griffith began writing articles for magazines and wrote two collections of poetry under the pseudonym "Lara." Moving to Bolton, he married Elizabeth Brierly in 1887. The couple moved the following year to London where Griffith entered journalism: first with an unsuccessful newspaper and second with the newly established Pearson's Weekly. His breakthrough came in 1893 with the serialization of The Angel of the Revolution in the latter: the science fiction story set in the near future depicts a secret organization armed with airships taking over the world. He followed with a sequel Olga Romanoff (1894) set 125 years later. In all, Griffith wrote some three dozen novels, most of which were serialized and many of which were science fiction or adventure stories. His last two years were marred by poor health and he died in 1906.

Author Tags:

References: Daily Mail (5 June 1906)

Fiction Titles:

  1. The Angel of the Revolution: A Tale of the Coming Terror.  1 vol.  London: Tower Publishing Co., 1893.
  2. Olga Romanoff: or, The Syren of the Skies. A Sequel to The Angel of the Revolution.  1 vol.  London: Tower Publishing Co., 1894.
  3. The Outlaws of the Air.  1 vol.  London: Tower Publishing Co., 1895.
  4. Valdar the Oft-Born: A Saga of Seven Ages.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1895.
  5. The Knights of the White Rose.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1897.
  6. Briton or Boer?: A Tale of the Fight for Africa.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1897.
  7. The Romance of the Golden Star.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1897.
  8. The Virgin of the Sun: A Tale of the Conquest of Peru.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1898.
  9. The Gold-Finder.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1898.
  10. The Destined Maid.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1898.
  11. Gambles with Destiny.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1899.
  12. The Great Pirate Syndicate.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1899.
  13. Knaves of Diamonds, Being Tales of Mine and Veld.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1899.
  14. The Rose of Judah: A Tale of the Captivity.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1899.
  15. Brothers of the Chain.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1900.
  16. Thou Shalt Not.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1900.
  17. A Honeymoon in Space.  1 vol.  London: C. Arthur Pearson, 1901.
  18. Denver's Double: A Story of Inverted Identity.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1901.
  19. Captain Ishmael: A Saga of the South Seas.  1 vol.  London: Hutchinson, 1901.
  20. The Justice of Revenge.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1901.
  21. The White Witch of Mayfair.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1902.
  22. The Missionary.  1 vol.  London: F. V. White, 1902.