Serendipity Strikes Again, Dept.: Did You Know Today Is Voltaire’s Birthday, and. . . ?
Yes indeed! Through a chain of e-jumps, what should I run across quite accidentally but ARTLARK.ORG with today’s topic, “Voltaire: The Father of Sci-Fi?” And why today? On the 21st of November 1694, François-Marie Arouet, known under the pen name Voltaire, was born in Paris. This French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher, who wa[image error]s also a great enthusiast of science and empirical knowledge, was probably one of the most prolific authors of all times.
That’s why.
As for the father of sci-fi, though, had not Cyrano de Bergerac already written of a voyage to the moon, published posthumously in 1657?* Well, yes, but Voltaire perhaps wrote the first ever book of actual interplanetary travel (and, presumably, interstellar) in his philosophical tale of MICROMÉGAS [who] is 20,000 feet tall and comes from a planet 21.6 million times larger than Earth. After a short visit to Saturn, where he acquaints his slightly smaller in size (only 6,000 feet tall) future travel companion, he finally lands on Earth. . . . At first sight, the planet seems uninhabited. However, once standing ankle-deep in the Baltic Sea they spot small specks of life below them, which at closer inspection turn out to be a whale and a boat full of philosophers returning from an Arctic expedition. . . . So that is a first, surely.
In any event, for more on MICROMÉGAS and Voltaire, press here. Also for Voltaire, a happy 323rd birthday!
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*THE OTHER WORLD: COMICAL HISTORY OF THE STATES AND EMPIRES OF THE MOON (French: L’AUTRE MONDE OU LES ÉTATS ET EMPIRES DE LA LUNE) was the first of three satirical novels written by Cyrano de Bergerac, that are considered among the first science fiction stories. Arthur C Clarke credited this book with being the first example of a rocket-powered space flight, and for inventing the ramjet. It was published after the author’s death, in 1657. (Wikipedia)
