1950s 19th-century 19th-century-literature action action-packed adrenaline adrenaline-fueled adrenaline-rush advanced-technology adventure aerial-combat aerial-maneuvers aerial-warfare air-combat air-force aircraft airplanes allegory alternate-history alternate-reality ambition american-literature apocalyptic atmospheric aviation aviators betrayal bravery british-literature brotherhood camaraderie character-driven character-study civilization class-divide class-division class-struggle classic classic-literature classics combat coming-of-age competition comradeship conflict courage danger dangerous-missions death destiny determination drama duty dystopia dystopian dystopian-future dystopian-society eloi emotional endurance escapism evolution evolutionary-theory excitement exhilarating exhilaration existential existentialism exploration fantasy fate fear fiction fighter-jets fighter-pilots fighter-planes flying friendship future future-society future-technology futurism futuristic futuristic-technology grief gripping h.-g. h.-g.-wells h.g.-wells heroism honor human-evolution human-nature human-progress humanity hunters imagination imaginative industrial-revolution intense intensity introspection invention james james-salter korean-war literary literary-fiction literature loss love love-affairs love-triangle loyalty machine machines masculinity military military-fiction morality morlocks mortality novel obsession passion perseverance philosophical philosophical-themes philosophy pilot pilots poetic post-apocalyptic post-war progress psychological pursuit redemption relationships resilience risk risk-taking rivalries rivalry romance sacrifice salter science science-and-technology science-fiction scientific-discovery scientific-exploration scientific-invention self-discovery social-class social-commentary social-criticism social-critique social-hierarchy social-inequality societal-decay society speculative-fiction strategy struggle survival suspense suspenseful teamwork technological-advancement technological-advancements technology tension the-hunters thought-provoking thrill thriller thrilling time-dilation time-machine time-manipulation time-paradox time-travel time-traveler tragedy trauma triumph utopia utopian-society victorian victorian-era victorian-literature victory vietnam vietnam-war visionary war wells world-war-ii