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Science Based Fiction is Born
Mary Shelley publishes her gothic horror novel Frankenstein, which is considered to be the earliest example of science fiction due to the main character's use of scientific experimentation to create "the modern prometheus" or "Frankenstein's Monster". at 18, the idea of Frankenstein came to Shelley in a dream after a group of her and her friends had started a competition to see who could write the best horror story. She published the novel anonymously in London on January 1st, 1818. -
The Mistranslation that Sparked Speculation
Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli observes channels on Mars which he coins "Canali". This term would be mistranslated into English as "canals", sparking the idea of an ancient civilization on Mars. -
A Strange Light on Mars
An article published in Nature titled A Strange Light on Mars details an unnamed author's observation of lights emanating from the surface of Mars. The author writes that the light "must have a physical or a human origin" further adding to the belief that intelligent 'Martian' life existed on Mars. This article was quickly refuted, nevertheless, went on to inspire the most prominent science fiction novel of all time. -
Canals on Mars
American astronomer Percival Lowell, influenced by Giovanni Schiaparelli's discovery, creates Lowell Observatory in order to further observe the "canals" on Mars. Lowell's findings, published in three Mars related books, further helped to popularize the idea that Mars once sustained intelligent life. Mars as the Abode of Life: https://archive.org/details/marsasabodeoflif00loweuoft -
War of the Worlds
H.G. Wells, influenced by both the Nature article 'A Strange Light on Mars' as well as Percival Lowell's intelligent life on mars theory, writes and publishes the first installment of War of the Worlds in Volume IV of Pearson's Magazine in 1897. Link to online text: https://archive.org/details/warofworlds00welluoft -
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Hugo Gernsback, the Father of Science Fiction
Link to Interactive Magazine: https://archive.org/details/AmazingStoriesVolume01Number01 -
Science Fiction Fandom is Born
