ABSTRACT
The impotence and mishaps of the would-be bombers depicted by the Stevensons and Joseph Conrad stand in stark contrast to the omnipotence and technological prowess of other fictional dynamiters of the same period. Most invasion stories of the late nineteenth century present scenarios of future war between national powers. Yet, there are a number of texts that conceive attacks by small groups of sub-state actors. The terrorist invaders who appear in these stories apply unfamiliar technology and strategies and cannot be countered by conventional means. The Dynamite Ship by Donald MacKay offers a similarly spectacular scenario. Again, an unheard-of technological innovation enables a small band of determined fighters to bring the proud English nation to its knees. In August 1879, Narodnaya Volya decided to make an attempt on the life of Alexander II while the Tsar returned from his summer residence near Yalta.
