Astronauts By Gaslight

Five classic space novels from the age of gaslight and steam engines. "Voyage to the Moon" (1827) by George Tucker (writing as Joseph Atterley) was the first American science fiction novel to deal with space flight. "The Moon Hoax" (1835) convinced millions of newspaper readers that eminent astronomer Sir John Herschel had discovered life on the Moon. "The Unparalleled Adventures of One Hans Pfaal" was Edgar Allan Poe's contribution to space fiction, inspired by George Tucker, who was one of his college instructors. "The Brick Moon" of 1870 contains the first realistic description of an artificial Earth satellite, anticipating most of the applications of modern satellites. 1900's "Honeymoon in Space" is a charming journey through the solar system, from the Moon to Mars and Jupiter.