Jonathan Swift Novel On Martians?

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07-29-2009, 03:15 PM
Lily Adams

Jonathan Swift Novel On Martians?

So I was in my astronomy class the other day, and my professor was talking about a novel by Jonathan Swift that was about Martians. Tremendously intrguied, seeing as how I love Jonathan Swift and stories about Martians, I tried researching this. I couldn't however, find it at all. Was I not thorough enough in my search? Could my professor have been mistaken? If so, who wrote this book? I don't remember anything else he said about it, but it sounds like something I would love to read...

Thanks, LitNet. :)
07-29-2009, 04:12 PM
PeterL

I believe that I have read all of the fiction and most of the satire that Swift wrote, and I am 100% certain that he did not write anything about Martians. I suggest that you grill the professor. My guess is that he got the name wrong.
07-29-2009, 04:17 PM
Lily Adams

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterL

I believe that I have read all of the fiction and most of the satire that Swift wrote, and I am 100% certain that he did not write anything about Martians. I suggest that you grill the professor. My guess is that he got the name wrong.

Yes, thank you, that's what I thought. Oh well. I was real stoked when he told us about it because it sounded like the most awesome combination ever. I have only read Gulliver's Travels and would like to read more Swift...do you have any suggestions since you are such a big fan? :)
07-29-2009, 04:30 PM
Lily Adams

Wait a sec...I found this on Wikipedia's page for the Moons of Mars: "Voltaire's 1750 short story Micromégas, about an alien visitor to Earth, also refers to two moons of Mars. Voltaire was presumably influenced by Swift."

I think this is what my professor meant...maybe?
07-29-2009, 04:51 PM
JBI

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily Adams

Wait a sec...I found this on Wikipedia's page for the Moons of Mars: "Voltaire's 1750 short story Micromégas, about an alien visitor to Earth, also refers to two moons of Mars. Voltaire was presumably influenced by Swift."

I think this is what my professor meant...maybe?

If my memory serves me Voltaire penned that one when he was in England - though the actual "Martian" quality isn't there - the text is merely a novella of ideas and, in my opinion not all that interesting, but I was never one to care for Voltiare, or Swift for that matter.
07-29-2009, 04:53 PM
PeterL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily Adams

Wait a sec...I found this on Wikipedia's page for the Moons of Mars: "Voltaire's 1750 short story Micromégas, about an alien visitor to Earth, also refers to two moons of Mars. Voltaire was presumably influenced by Swift."

I think this is what my professor meant...maybe?

If that's the closest, then it isn't very close. In the Voyage to Laputa section of Gulliver's Travels there is a mention of Mars having two moons; although smaller moon wasn't observed until the 1800's. There was discussion and description of a variety of projects that were being attempted. I don't recall exactly what was said about Mars, but the most memorable was one person who was trying to separate fecal matter into what it had been before being eaten.
07-29-2009, 04:57 PM
PeterL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily Adams

.do you have any suggestions since you are such a big fan? :)

If you want to read Swift, then anything would be good. I don't like his poetry, but I don't like much poetry. His piece about the compensation of Churchill was one of his best. If you read that
07-29-2009, 05:22 PM
Lily Adams

Quote:

Originally Posted by JBI

If my memory serves me Voltaire penned that one when he was in England - though the actual "Martian" quality isn't there - the text is merely a novella of ideas and, in my opinion not all that interesting, but I was never one to care for Voltiare, or Swift for that matter.

Yeah, that's what I noticed, but maybe my teacher also mixed up "Martian" and just plain old "alien".

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterL

If that's the closest, then it isn't very close. In the Voyage to Laputa section of Gulliver's Travels there is a mention of Mars having two moons; although smaller moon wasn't observed until the 1800's. There was discussion and description of a variety of projects that were being attempted. I don't recall exactly what was said about Mars, but the most memorable was one person who was trying to separate fecal matter into what it had been before being eaten.

Yes, it is.

You mean the part about the conspiracy-excrement analyzation? Crack up! My favorite part of the entire book.
07-30-2009, 01:34 PM
PeterL

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lily Adams

You mean the part about the conspiracy-excrement analyzation? Crack up! My favorite part of the entire book.

Yes, that was one of my favorite bit of Swift. While it may not be the most sophisticated but of humor ever written, that probably is the best bit of bathroom humor to be in great fiction.
07-30-2009, 01:42 PM
PeterL

All of Swift's writings are long out of copyright, and are available online.
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a326
I just downloaded several files of his works. The one that I am most interested in is the pieces from the Tattler, Spectator, etc.
07-31-2009, 11:09 AM
Lily Adams

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterL

Yes, that was one of my favorite bit of Swift. While it may not be the most sophisticated but of humor ever written, that probably is the best bit of bathroom humor to be in great fiction.

Indeed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PeterL

All of Swift's writings are long out of copyright, and are available online.
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/s#a326
I just downloaded several files of his works. The one that I am most interested in is the pieces from the Tattler, Spectator, etc.

Thanks! I love project Gutenberg. :)