Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout
Victor Appleton
MP3 CD
(IDB Productions, March 15, 2016)
The fifth volume in the Tom Swift series, Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout by Victor Appleton comes with the subtitle The Speediest Car on the Road. Indeed, the reader will meet Tom as he enters a 500-mile car race with his unique electric racing car - a prototype and a vehicle like no other. In the previous Tom Swift stories, the protagonist has already driven a motorcycle, a speedboat, an airship, even a submarine boat, so it is not surprising that his car, just likethe other vehicles he creates and drives, will be the best and the fastest (though not always the most reliable). However, before he can make the final preparations for the race, he discovers a financial plot that can ruin many people, including his family, so he sets on to stop it before he can even think of participating in the race. The book was first published in 1910 and it is remarkable not only for its quick-paced action, its humor, its wit and the matching story-telling style used for creating a story full of unexpected turns, but also for the inventions used by the protagonist - devices and technologies that have only recently become reality. Tom Swift uses an electric car powered by a special, high-capacity, rechargeable battery. His extraordinary vehiclehas an autonomy of more than 400 miles and it is able to reach the speed of 100 miles an hour, being innovative not only in terms of its components, but also when it comes to exterior design. However, Tom Swift and his Electric Runabout has a lot to offer to readers who are not very keen on technological inventions as well - the story is filled with action and Tom Swift proves how brave and resourceful he is when he is faced with danger and crime.