"Robur der Sieger" by Jules Verne is a science fiction novel published in 1886. When mysterious lights, sounds, and black flags appear worldwide atop famous landmarks, a brilliant inventor named Robur crashes a Philadelphia flight club meeting to prove his "heavier than air" flying machine superior to their balloon designs. He kidnaps the club's leaders aboard his remarkable aircraft, the Albatross, taking them on a forced journey around the world that sparks both wonder and a dangerous desire for escape.