Roots of Science Fiction

Have you ever thought about where fiction comes from? What about the different genres of fiction?

"Science Fiction came of age in the 19th Century under the talents of writers like Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, and H.G. Wells. But before these authors stands a long history of proto-science fiction tales, replete with voyages to the moon, socially and technologically advanced civilizations, and visions of the future." (Read more at io9.)

It's easy to believe that inventions like railroads, vaccinations, and mass media give authors wilder ideas than a two-man saw, for example, even if the latter represented a significant advantage over the one-person model. But would you believe that the first space opera was written in the 2nd century CE? Lucian of Samosata's A True Story places inhabitants not only on the moon but also on the Sun, and does not stop there. Our library does not carry Lucian's works, but we have plenty of sci-fi and fantasy for those days when you'd like to really get your feet off the ground.