Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, the author of "The Last Days of Pompeii" as well as "Zanoni," wrote this fantasy novel about a possible future for humanity in the 19th century. Rudolf Steiner pointed out that in this exciting, humorous depiction of the application of unknown natural forces ("Vril"), which not only exponentially increased the possibilities of technology but also completely changed lifestyles and social order, one can see "correctly perceived" images of humanity's past and the developmental possibilities of our present and future. Guenther Wachsmuth translated this book into German at the request of Rudolf Steiner.