“explained the genesis of the heavenly bodies by the gradual coalescence of a thin, luminous substance diffused through space. It is dedicated to the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, whose massive Cosmos attempted to harmonize a knowledge of the physical environment with a classical ideal of humanity. But it was actually much closer (as Daniel Hoffman points out) to the dubious revelations of his contemporaries, Joseph Smith and Mary Baker Eddy, the founders of Mormonism and of Christian Science. Unlike most of Poe’s major works, Eureka fell stillborn from the press, was ignored by the general public and had absolutely no influence on scientific or philosophical thought.”