Adventure has always occurred in storytelling, whether it is defeating monsters at the behest of ancient gods, running away from patriarchal figures, or following breadcrumb trails through the woods. Adventure occurs whether there is a reward of treasure or a search for a lost world, whether the story is about espionage or chivalric romance or daring rescues. And, inevitably the quests involve travelling, whether across continents, under the sea, or into a multiverse. The first chapter of this book provides an Introduction to the adventure genre and contextual placing of the fin-de-siècle adventure story before giving a more thorough exploration of the literary landscape building up to the end of the century. ‘The Affairs of Men’ begins the investigation into gender identity as well as national identity with the importance of the authors’ Scottish, French, and American nationalities when looking at the identity of the English gentleman-hero. It situates important distinctions between Othering, Orientalism, and Exoticism in post-colonial criticism. The Introduction also explains the importance of studying the original illustrations printed with texts and the paratextual and intertextual nature of their relationship with the text and the context of their production.