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The First Men in the Moon
(1901)
Would you like to build a spaceship, fly to an alien world and marvel at what you find there? There are many novels that have this quest at their heart. The First Men In The Moon is a genuine early example of what would later become a sub genre of science fiction. Well's spaceship is made possible by an alloy called cavorite. He explains in detail how this alloy's unique properties make it possible for men to journey to the moon while being careful to acknowledge late 19th century science. Later writers have used this method of explanation to add authenticity to their spaceships. Well's moon is a moon where an advanced alien civilisation lives, the moon is described in detail, it's gravity, geology, atmosphere, plants and animals. Later writers use details to build their worlds. On a final note, the main theme of what happens when humans visit the aliens? Would the impression the humans make depend on their personalities? Wells explores this theme through his two main human characters. Later writers use human characters to bring forth the alien qualities of their stories. This book was written in 1901 yet it feels modern. The reader will be able to make comparisons between The First Men In The Moon and later contemporary science fiction.--Submitted by Conscious Bob
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This is truly great science fiction, and in a lot of ways a little under appreciated compared to other of Wells' works. Probably the reason for this is that the concept of the book is a little silly based on what we know of the moon and the universe today. But if you can take yourself back, and read this in the perspective of someone alive in 1901 when this book was first published, you'll find it exciting, engaging and very well constructed.
Posted By Adam at Tue 24 May 2005, 5:03 PM in The First Men in the Moon || 1 Reply