Mor Jokai, an author of romances who enjoyed great popularity in his day, was a sort of Jules Verne of Hungary who became known throughout Europe. He wrote more than 100 novels. Though weak in characterization, Jokai was a master of suspense and fantastic---sometimes "scientific"---adventure, which took place in exotic settings and was colored by his own exuberant optimism. The Dark Diamond (1870) and The Man with the Golden Touch (1872, sometimes translated A Modern Midas) are his two outstanding tales.