''Tisab Ting, or, The Electrical Kiss'' is an 1896 Canadian

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

novel, written by Ida May Ferguson of

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

under the

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...

Dyjan Fergus. The book is set in late 20th century

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and features an "electrical genius": a "learned Chinaman" who woos and wins a Canadian wife through his superior scientific knowledge as embodied in "the Electrical Kiss." The book is an early version of the melodrama as social commentary. The key idea of a device capable of forcing one to love another against their will could have been a complex exploration of a woman's thoughts and feelings and whether they are artificially induced. However, according to a contemporary reviewer, the admitted novelty of the subject matter and plot of this "startling" work did not excuse this "young lady writer" for writing which was weak and without skill (it was her first and apparently only book). It is of interest mainly because of its early publication date. The University of Alberta Libraries published a microfiche copy of the book in 1980.Fergus, Dyjan, ''Tisab Ting, or, the Electrical Kiss''
Hunter, Rose, Toronto, 1896 (reproduced 1980),

References

1896 Canadian novels Canadian science fiction novels Novels set in Montreal Novels set in the 20th century Works published under a pseudonym 1896 science fiction novels {{Canada-novel-stub