The King of the Sea by Ned Buntline
Price: $3.50
ePublished by
May 2025
Originally published 1860
Dime novel, Age of Sail
Author: Ned Buntline
ePublished by
May 2025
Originally published 1860
Dime novel, Age of Sail
Author: Ned Buntline
A young toddler is kidnapped by a pirate who later rises to become the leader, or “king,” of an island of pirates and their families. Upon this pirate’s death, when his adopted son is chosen to inherit this leadership role and become the new “King of the Sea,” the young man’s lifestyle is suddenly thrown into conflict with his natural inclinations—and at that moment his real father miraculously re-appears in his life.
And of course, during everything, there is sailing involved... as should be the case with all novels.
The King of the Sea; A Tale of the Fearless and Free was Numbers 19–22 of Volume VI. of The Weekly Novelette series published by M. M. Ballou in Boston, Massachusetts; each member of the series being published in four issues over the course of four weeks. Each issue was priced at four cents, making these “dime novels” cost the reader sixteen cents to read the entirety of a story. And in addition to that contradiction, at more than 49,000 words The King of the Sea is technically a full-sized novel in length, not a novelette.
And of course, during everything, there is sailing involved... as should be the case with all novels.
The King of the Sea; A Tale of the Fearless and Free was Numbers 19–22 of Volume VI. of The Weekly Novelette series published by M. M. Ballou in Boston, Massachusetts; each member of the series being published in four issues over the course of four weeks. Each issue was priced at four cents, making these “dime novels” cost the reader sixteen cents to read the entirety of a story. And in addition to that contradiction, at more than 49,000 words The King of the Sea is technically a full-sized novel in length, not a novelette.