Past Forward: Electricity’s Perilous Narrative Arc
Allison C. Marsh · IEEE Spectrum · 2021
Summary form only given, as follows. In L. Frank Baum’s 1901 classic "The Master Key: An Electrical Fairy Tale", Rob Josyln, a young boy who is wild about all things electrical, accidentally summons the Demon of Electricity to his attic workshop. Similarly to the genie in Aladdin’s lamp, the demon offers Rob three gifts for each of the next three weeks to demonstrate the extraordinary potential of electricity. The fantastical inventions Rob receives foreshadow modern-day Tasers, streaming video, and augmentedreality glasses. Adventure and near disaster ensue. Eventually, Rob decides to avoid further mishap and politely refuses any more gifts. In his sci-fi morality tale, Baum seems to recognize that the world of 120 years ago was not prepared for this futuristic technology. Are we ready now?