A hero that betrays the interests of peace and freedom is doomed to failure. So is Tom Rock, a genius scientist, who invented the weapon of exceptional power. Embittered by misfortunes and lacking in patriotism, he sells his invention to a group of scoundrels and villains.
By the first authentic exponent of modern science fiction, the French novelist Jules Verne (1828-1905). The anti-hero, to which the author devoted his best works – is a genius inventor, a person of his own, misunderstood by the society, but still being a human inside, trying to follow mental and ethical regulations. Verne foreknew even than that the scientific and technical progress brings not only good but also evil, destroys the personality of the scientist, placing him on the verge of realize his personal responsibility for the invention. The strain of the last struggle and unexpected decision of the protagonist impress and give a good example of patriotism, though a fantastic one.