I’ve just finished reading, ‘The Other World; The Societies and Governments of the Moon’ by Cyrano de Bergerac. It’s often touted as the first science-fiction novel and I must say it’s a fascinating read. Written during the 17th century, it concerns a journey taken by the author to the moon, where he meets all manner of strange people and witnesses many bizarre events and odd conversations. The work is incredibly ahead of its time and contains ideas and inventions that seem out of place for the period it was written - space travel, hot-air balloons, even the light bulb.
The version I read was an English translation made available on the Internet. I’ve linked to it below. The notes and commentaries provided with this version are excellent and really make the novel accessible. I recommend it whole-heartedly.
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/special/tow.html
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