True History

Lucian of Samosata (125–c.180) was a Greek satirist of Syrian or Assyrian extraction, and True History is perhaps his most well-known tale. In this tale, the protagonist visits the Moon, meets extraterrestrial creatures, and takes part in interplanetary warfare. This piece of fantastical fiction parodies many works such as Homer’s Odyssey, and is certainly a contender for the title of earliest science fiction story.

Many people could be forgiven for thinking that concepts such as voyages into space, time travel, robots and extraterrestrials started in the nineteenth century with the works of Jules Verne, HG Wells and other science fiction pioneers. In truth, however, these ideas have far earlier origins, dating back a thousand years and more. True History is the second tale in Firestone Books' Early Science Fiction Series.

For more information on our early science fiction stories visit www.firestonebooks.com