Life, 1918-01-03 · page 39 of 40
Life — January 3, 1918 — page 39: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **book advertisement**, not a political cartoon. It promotes *Drowsy* by John Ames Mitchell, editor of Life magazine, published by Stokes. The page advertises a science fiction novel about humanity's future technological and spiritual advancement. The dramatic illustration shows what appears to be an aircraft or airship above a waterfront cityscape, visualizing the "mechanical triumph" promised in the text. The quoted line about controlling "gravity...as easily as distance, sound and light" suggests the novel's speculative fiction premise. The advertisement emphasizes entertainment value ("humor—romance—adventure—conquest") and positions Mitchell as an established literary figure. At $1.50, it targets educated, affluent readers. The tone reflects early 20th-century optimism about technological progress—a common theme in period science fiction before world wars tempered such utopian views.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
An all-round story, for an all-round reader, by an all-round man On sale at all Bookshops Net $1.50 The forces of gravity shall as easily be controlled as distance, sound and light HUMOR — ROMANCE — ADVENTURE — CONQUEST A continuous liquid fire of pure entertainment DROWSY By JOHN AMES MITCHELL The editor of Life, the author of ‘““Amos Judd” and “The Pines of Lory,” has written the story of the future mechanical and spiritual triumph of man. STOKES, Publisher comicbooks.com