The first true space travel stories weren't written until after 1610. Before then, no one knew for sure that there even were other worlds than this one. But Galileo's great discoveries changed all that. People began to wonder what these other worlds might be like and authors lost no time in getting their interplanetary stories into print. The earliest authors were at a loss regarding exactly how to get their heroes to the Moon and other worlds and had to resort to magic and other unlikely devices. The invention of the balloon was a godsend. For the first time a man-made device enabled humans to leave the surface of the Earth---and there was a renewed surge of space travel stories. Most of these authors merely used the Moon and planets as a convenient backdrop for social satire, but others took some pains to get the science correct---or at least as correct as knowledge of the time permitted. The books in this series run the gamut from from balloons to antigravity, from what may be the first interplanetary story ever written to the first suggestion ever for a passenger-carrying rocket.
Many of these books and stories have not been available in any form for decades. They all contain historical essays and other material written specially for this series by Ron Miller.
The first true space travel stories weren't written until after 1610. Before then, no one knew for sure that there even were other worlds than this one. But Galileo's great discoveries changed all that. People began to wonder what these other worlds might be like and authors lost no time in getting their interplanetary stories into print. The earliest authors were at a loss regarding exactly how to get their heroes to the Moon and other worlds and had to resort to magic and other unlikely devices. The invention of the balloon was a godsend. For the first time a man-made device enabled humans to leave the surface of the Earth---and there was a renewed surge of space travel stories. Most of these authors merely used the Moon and planets as a convenient backdrop for social satire, but others took some pains to get the science correct---or at least as correct as knowledge of the time permitted. The books in this series run the gamut from from balloons to antigravity, from what may be the first interplanetary story ever written to the first suggestion ever for a passenger-carrying rocket.
Many of these books and stories have not been available in any form for decades. They all contain historical essays and other material written specially for this series by Ron Miller.
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” Originally published in 1751, this fantasy-adventure contains one of the most detailed and best-realized spacecraft/flying machines in science fiction. It marked the transition from the fantastic and mystical means of reaching space that had preceded it and laid the foundation for the scientific verisimilitude of Poe and Verne.
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” George Tucker’s A Voyage to the Moon was one of the first science fiction novels to be published in the United States as well as one of the earliest uses of antigravity. This 1827 novel was a major influence on Edgar Allan Poe.
Two important short classics from 1835: Richard Adams Locke's Moon Hoax and Edgar Allan Poe's Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfaall—perhaps the first attempt anywhere to describe a flight into space with scientific accuracy. Also included is the satirical fantasy from 1784, Journey...to the newly discovered Planet Georgium Sidus, by "Vivenair".
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” Lucian's AD 160 tale of a trip to the moon may be the first interplanetary science fiction story ever written. Includes both "A True History" and "Icaromennipus."
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” Originally published in 1703, Iter Lunaire is one of the first books to discuss the real possibility of exploring space, the methods of doing so and what might be found there. Taking Cyrano De Bergerac's classic "Comic History" as its jumping-off point, author Russen discusses the pros and cons of the French writer's fanciful methods of space travel...and adds some of his own, including what may be the most unusual method of traveling to the Moon ever suggested. Along the way, Russen anticipates such modern scientific developments as the germ theory of disease and hyperlinked reference books.
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” Representative of the type of moon-voyages being published prior to the 19th century: full of sharp satire, high adventure and low humor. The pseudonymous "Samuel Brunt" is taken to the moon by the inhabitants of Cacklogallinia: a race of giant, intelligent chickens. Originally published in 1727.
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” Elbert Perce’s nearly forgotten classic of early American literature (it was originally published in 1851) includes the first realistically accurate description of a rocket-propelled spaceship in history.
Featured in Ron Miller’s “The Conquest of Space Book Series.” This 1705 novel by Daniel Defoe is a prime example of the early use of an imaginary voyage to the moon to satirize life, politics and culture on earth. Defoe's novel is made even more remarkable by his prescient use of scientific devices, such as a flying machine propelled by an internal combustion engine.
The first true space travel stories weren't written until after 1610. Before then, no one knew for sure that there even were other worlds than this one. But Galileo's great discoveries changed all that. People began to wonder what these other worlds might be like and authors lost no time in getting their interplanetary stories into print. The earliest authors were at a loss regarding exactly how to get their heroes to the Moon and other worlds and had to resort to magic and other unlikely devices. The invention of the balloon was a godsend. For the first time a man-made device enabled humans to leave the surface of the Earth---and there was a renewed surge of space travel stories. Most of these authors merely used the Moon and planets as a convenient backdrop for social satire, but others took some pains to get the science correct---or at least as correct as knowledge of the time permitted. The books in this series run the gamut from from balloons to antigravity, from what may be the first interplanetary story ever written to the first suggestion ever for a passenger-carrying rocket.
Many of these books and stories have not been available in any form for decades. They all contain historical essays and other material written specially for this series by Ron Miller.
