A Columbus of Space
Jul 2022 · Otbebookpublishing
Ebook
177
Pages
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Eligible
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About this ebook
A group of friends travel to Venus in a "car" (the author deliberately avoids calling it a ship) constructed by one of their number, a scientist with a brilliant mind, who - like the author himself - has always been explaining scientific and other complicated facts to his lesser gifted friends. The car runs on nuclear power, and their aim is Venus, because their guide is certain of the planet's habitability. At that time, Venus was still thought to rotate in a way that it would always show the same hemisphere to the sun, making it a planet divided into one half of eternal darkness and one of eternal sunshine. That is what the friends find, and of course the inhabitants of the two sides differ accordingly. They arrive on the dark side, and have some adventures there; but the larger and more adventurous part of the story takes place on the sun side, where they venture later. After having crossed crystal mountains and vast stormy oceans, they reach the land of a people of such a high degree of civilization that spoken language has almost completely been replaced by telepathy. Of course, the scientific leader of the group does not take long to learn that language, and makes many astonishing discoveries. (Goodreads)
A group of friends travel to Venus in a "car" (the author deliberately avoids calling it a ship) constructed by one of their number, a scientist with a brilliant mind, who - like the author himself - has always been explaining scientific and other complicated facts to his lesser gifted friends. T...
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About the author
Garrett Putman Serviss (1851-1929) was an American astronomer, journalist, and early science fiction writer whose work bridged the gap between scientific inquiry and imaginative storytelling. Born in Sharon Springs, New York, Serviss graduated from Cornell University in 1872 and later studied law at Columbia University, though he never practiced. Instead, he found his calling in journalism, joining the New York Sun as a reporter and eventually becoming an editor.Serviss's fascination with astronomy led him to become a popularizer of science, delivering public lectures and writing numerous articles and books that made complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public. His clear, engaging style earned him the moniker "the American Jules Verne," and he was instrumental in inspiring a generation of readers to look to the stars.One of Serviss's most revolutionary ideas was his early advocacy for space exploration, a concept that was purely speculative in his time but has since become a reality. His works often explored the possibilities of interplanetary travel and the existence of extraterrestrial life, themes that would heavily influence later science fiction writers such as H.G. Wells and Arthur C. Clarke.Despite his scientific grounding, Serviss was not without controversy. He occasionally ventured into the realm of pseudoscience, particularly with his interest in the paranormal and speculative theories about the universe. Nonetheless, his contributions to both science and literature remain significant, as he helped to lay the groundwork for the modern science fiction genre and inspired countless individuals to dream beyond the confines of Earth.
Garrett Putman Serviss (1851-1929) was an American astronomer, journalist, and early science fiction writer whose work bridged the gap between scientific inquiry and imaginative storytelling. Born in Sharon Springs, New York, Serviss graduated from Cornell University in 1872 and later studied law...
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