MICROMEGAS (1752) – Written by Voltaire. The famed philosopher’s contribution to the nascent science fiction genre dealt with one of the earliest known instances of beings from other planets depicted visiting the Earth. Amid the fantastic elements of the story Voltaire fits in examinations of the philosophies of Aristotle, Locke, Descartes and others.
The title character comes from the star system Sirius and from a huge planet that dwarfs the Earth. He himself is 20,000 feet tall, has a thousand senses to our five and is 450 years old. Micromegas was banished from his home world for scientific heresy and took to roaming the cosmos in search of knowledge.
Sometimes traveling by comet and at other times beaming himself along light waves his journey at last brought him to our solar system’s planet of Saturn. Once there he befriended a kindred intellectual rebel, the Secretary of the Saturnian Academy, a 6,000 foot tall being who joined him on his visit to our planet.
After a cursory exploration of the Earth, Micromegas and his companion established communication with a shipful of scholars returning from an Arctic expedition and began setting straight the many misconceptions that even Earth’s greatest minds have about the universe. The two extraterrestrials especially ridiculed the notion that the cosmos was created just for Earthlings and decided to depart in disgust.
A book that the mischievous Micromegas gave the scholars, promising it explained the meaning of existence turned out to be filled with blank pages. (No, not a cook book.)
FOR TEN MORE EXAMPLES OF ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION CLICK HERE: https://glitternight.com/2014/03/03/ten-neglected-examples-of-ancient-science-fiction/
FOR WASHINGTON IRVING’S 1809 depiction of an invasion from the moon click here: https://glitternight.com/2014/05/05/ancient-science-fiction-the-men-of-the-moon-1809-by-washington-irving/
Balladeer's Blog 
I do like the blank pages idea! 😉
Me too! Nice finishing touch!
Who knew Voltaire wrote sci fi? Not me.
I love sharing that kind of information!
Very interesting, thank you !
Thank YOU for dropping by! Long time no see!
10 franks, eh? Eckrich or Armour? Got a brand here, Kowalski, a premium frank, could I get by with eight? That’d leave me two for lunch. Or Koegel natural casings, but I’d only go six of those puppies. I’m just smoking you, Balladman. Good read, your review, but Imma pass. Find Frenchies like the dude what wrote Gargantua and Pantagruel tedious and little-boy scatalogical.
I thought bratwurst was their currency. Thanks for straightening that out. And yeah, all these old works are a niche taste.
Reblogged this on El Noticiero de Alvarez Galloso.
Thank you, sir!
Anytime
😀
Another great science fiction story. This one brought to mind the Avatar films. James Cameron’s franchise of films also focused on a planet with limited resources ruled by eccentric warriors. I love the second film in the franchise “Avatar: the Way of Water”. The sequel managed to pull off the tricky task of surpassing the first film which was already great. One of my favorite films of 2021. Here’s why it’s a must-see:
“Avatar: The Way of Water” (2021) – Movie Review – The Film Buff (huilahimovie.reviews)
Thank you! I enjoyed your review of Avatar The Way of Water.