THE CONQUEST OF SPACE
Books That Inspired the Space Age

The novels in this collection not only remain fun reading even after a century or more has passed, but are accurate mirrors of the scientific knowledge of the time in which they were written, as well as being a gauge of the interest space travel had for their contemporary readers.

The Moon-Maker. An atomic-powered spaceship is on a mission to divert an asteroid from an impending collision with earth in this exciting, funny, prescient, scientifically impeccable classic from 1916. Includes the prequel, The Man Who Rocked the Earth, with the first-ever accurate description of a atomic bomb blast.

 

Gulliver Joi. This nearly forgotten classic of early American literature (it was originally published in 1851) includes the first realistic description of a rocket-propelled spaceship in history. Illustrated.

 

 

 

 

Journeys to the Moon. 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". Illustrated.

Trips to the Moon. 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", along with an introduction and extensive notes.

Mass market paperback.

 

 

A Journey In Other Worlds. One of the most prophetic science fiction novels of all time, by one of SF's most unusual, and unexpected, authors: multimillionaire John Jacob Astor. Illustrated by Dan Beard (founder of the Boy Scouts of America). Originally published in 1894.

 

 

A Voyage to the Moon.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.