Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon
Early satirical novel featuring rocket-powered spaceflight to the Moon.
The Other World: Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon, a satirical novel by Cyrano de Bergerac, was published posthumously in 1657, two years after his death. It is recognized as an early example of science fiction, featuring what Arthur C. Clarke noted as the first depiction of rocket-powered space travel and the invention of the ramjet. The story follows a character named Cyrano, who is determined to reach the Moon and observe its civilization. His initial attempt fails, landing him in New France instead of Paris. There, he tells a governor about the Sun's nature, but the discussion does not involve the Sun exhausting its fuel or causing planetary destruction. A second try ends in a crash, but soldiers improve his flying machine with rockets, and on his third attempt he reaches the Moon. There, he meets a society where names are based on musical notes. He later encounters the ghost of Socrates and Domingo Gonsales, a character from an earlier novel. Through their philosophical discussions, the book argues that God is an unnecessary concept, that humans cannot achieve immortality, and that human souls do not exist. The novel was inspired by Lucian’s *True History* and later influenced works like Jonathan Swift’s *Gulliver’s Travels*. The French comic series *De cape et de crocs* also draws from it.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Cyrano de Bergerac
- Title Orig
- L'Autre monde ou les états et empires de la Lune
- Country
- France
- Language
- French
- Genre
- science fiction
- Published
- 1657
- Followed By
- The States and Empires of the Sun
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
On the Moon, Cyrano meets inhabitants with four legs, musical voices, and weapons that cook game as it is shot. Their naming conventions are based on musical notes. He encounters the ghost of Socrates and Domingo Gonsales, a character from Francis Godwin's The Man in the Moone. Through philosophical dialogue, they establish that God does not exist and is a useless concept, that humans cannot achieve immortality, and that human souls do not exist.
Reader's Guide
The Other World is significant as one of the earliest published science fiction works, influencing later fantastic voyages such as Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Arthur C. Clarke credited the book with the first description of rocket-powered spaceflight and the invention of the ramjet. The novel also inspired the French comic book series De cape et de crocs. Its satirical treatment of religion and philosophy, including arguments against the existence of God and the soul, marked a bold departure for its time. The work draws inspiration from Lucian's proto-science fiction True History and remains a key text in the history of science fiction.
Did You Know?
- The novel was published posthumously in 1657, two years after Cyrano de Bergerac's death.
- The Moon inhabitants' naming conventions are based on musical notes.
- The book features a character named Domingo Gonsales from Francis Godwin's The Man in the Moone.
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