The earliest known science fiction book, Lucian of Samosata’s *A True Story*, written in the 2nd Century A.D., stands as a remarkable testament to human imagination. As the video above thoroughly explores, this ancient Greek text pre-dates the likes of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells by over a millennium, showcasing themes of outer space exploration, alien encounters, and interplanetary warfare long before such concepts became mainstream. Delving deeper into Lucian’s audacious narrative reveals not only a fantastical journey but also a sharp, humorous satire aimed squarely at the literary and cultural conventions of his time.
Lucian of Samosata: The Ancient World’s Satirical Genius
Lucian of Samosata was no ordinary writer. Flourishing in the 2nd Century A.D., he was a prolific satirist, renowned for his over-the-top stories and exaggerated humor. His sharp wit was employed to ridicule a spectrum of societal elements, from prevalent superstitions and religious dogmas to prominent political figures. The enduring popularity of his work is evident; over 80 of his stories have survived to this day, a testament to his significant impact on the educated upper-class readership of ancient Greece.
Lucian’s genius lay in his ability to craft narratives that, while often appearing absurd to a modern audience, were deeply resonant with the cultural nuances and intellectual debates of his era. He understood his target audience implicitly, catering to their tastes for referential humor and pointed social commentary. The challenges we face in fully appreciating his jokes now are a direct consequence of being nearly 2,000 years removed from his immediate cultural context.
The Literary Landscape of the Roman Empire: Travelogs and Debates
To fully grasp Lucian’s satirical brilliance, one must understand the dominant literary genres of the Roman Empire: the travelog and the debate. Travelogs were a hybrid form, part guidebook and part personal journal, recounting journeys to distant lands and the “discoveries” made there. They captivated audiences with tales of the unknown and exotic. Debates, on the other hand, presented written arguments between respected public figures, exploring various philosophical or political ideas with rigorous, often convoluted, logic.
Lucian harbored a profound disdain for what these genres had devolved into. He observed that travelogs had embraced sensationalism, with authors routinely embellishing or fabricating discoveries to maintain relevance and sell more copies. These writers often presented outright lies as factual accounts, prioritizing entertainment over truth. Similarly, Lucian viewed debates as excessively long-winded and elitist, frequently devolving into bickering over trivial semantics or ultimately unknowable matters. His satire was born from this frustration, blending and subverting these popular forms.
“Truthfully, I Lie”: Lucian’s Subversive Preface
Lucian’s audacious approach to storytelling begins on the very first page of *A True Story*. He starts by openly declaring that the entire book is a work of fiction. This declaration would have been a shocking subversion for his contemporary readership, who were accustomed to travelogs proclaiming their veracity, however dubious. Lucian uses this preface to muse on the lamentable state of the genre, directly criticizing revered authors like Ctesias and Homer, and implicitly lambasting his contemporaries for “ruining the publishing business” with their fabrications.
In a moment of self-aware humor, he admits his own lack of noteworthy experiences, stating that if he must lie to sell books, he will do so with a more noble candor than his rivals. He famously writes, “I confidently pronounce that truthfully, I lie,” and explicitly instructs, “Let no man therefore in any case believe these words.” This incredible preface sets the stage for a narrative where the reader is constantly reminded of the constructed nature of the tale, a sophisticated meta-narrative technique far ahead of its time.
An Interstellar Odyssey: Lucian’s Fantastical Worlds
The journey recounted in *A True Story* is nothing short of epic, blending adventure, satire, and wildly imaginative elements that resonate with modern science fiction tropes. From its inception, the narrative plunges the protagonist and his crew into increasingly bizarre scenarios.
1. The Voyage to the Western Ocean and the Tree-Women
Lucian begins his fictional journey by gathering a crew of 50 men aboard a large wooden ship, setting out from the Pillars of Hercules (the Strait of Gibraltar) into the uncharted western ocean. After a day and a night of smooth sailing, they encounter a terrifying tempest that rages for an astonishing 79 days. Such a prolonged storm would have been a death sentence in ancient seafaring, underscoring the extraordinary nature of their survival.
Upon landing on an island, they discover massive footprints attributed to Hercules and Dionysus, immediately grounding the fantastical elements in familiar Greek mythology. The most peculiar encounter is a river of wine and grapevines shaped like women. These “tree-women” speak Greek and lure two lust-stricken crewmen, who are then snared by branches and transformed into trees themselves. This vivid, cautionary tale combines mythological reverence with dark humor, subtly criticizing human folly and the dangers of unchecked desire.
2. To the Moon and the Sun-Moon War
The most iconic segment of *A True Story* involves the protagonist’s vessel being caught in a whirlwind and thrust into outer space. After seven days of sailing through the cosmos—a concept remarkable for a 2nd-century text, even if Lucian imagined space having wind—they arrive at the Moon. Here, Lucian’s party encounters the Hippogienes, or “vulture dragoons,” a moon-based police force who fly on colossal birds. They are brought before King Endymion, a human who speaks Greek, instantly creating a relatable, albeit absurd, political structure.
The Moon Kingdom is embroiled in a fierce interplanetary war with the Sun Kingdom over the colonization of Venus. Lucian and his men readily join Endymion’s forces, receiving armor and giant vultures for aerial combat. The ensuing space battle is a highlight of ancient science fiction. One hundred thousand Moon soldiers, supported by almost a million galactic allies, face Phaethon’s Sun army. The description of the combatants is richly imaginative:
- **Moon Army:** Includes “grass-plumes” (birds with lettuce wings), vulture dragoons, and archers riding elephant-sized fleas. Island-sized spiders, including one named Owlette, son of Fairweather (a probable satirical jab at a contemporary author), weave a massive web as a battlefield.
- **Sun Army:** Features dragoons on 200-foot-long ants, giant mosquitoes, men flinging poison radishes, soldiers with asparagus spears and mushroom shields, and “puppycorns” from the dog star, riding winged acorns.
Following their capture by late-arriving cloud centaurs and a brief imprisonment on the Sun, Lucian and his companions witness a peace treaty. The Sunites agree to tear down a cloud wall separating the kingdoms and release prisoners. In return, the Moonites concede the stars and agree to an annual tribute of 10,000 gallons of dew to Phaethon, and a joint colony on Venus. This entire episode is a satirical commentary on imperialistic ambition, petty political disputes, and the often-ridiculous terms of ancient treaties.
3. Lunar Life and Other Anomalies
Lucian’s depiction of life on the Moon is a fascinating blend of the bizarre and the deeply critical. He declines King Endymion’s offer for his son’s hand in marriage, noting, “There are no women on the moon.” Instead, Moon men are wives for the first 25 years of their lives, then become husbands, carrying children in their calf of the leg rather than the belly. This inversion of gender roles and reproductive processes provides a pointed critique of traditional societal structures and norms.
Other strange details abound:
- Flying frogs are plucked from the air and eaten fried.
- Moon men are born with only one toe on each foot.
- They have honey instead of snot and sweat milk.
- Their bellies serve as pockets, their clothes are made of glass, and their eyes are removable.
- Their ears are made of leaves.
4. Back to Earth: Lamptown, Whales, and the Afterlife
The return journey to Earth is no less adventurous. Lucian and his crew first visit “Lamptown,” a city inhabited by sentient, floating lamps, each bearing the name of an Earth person. These lamps deliver reports to a magistrate each evening, their flames snuffed out if they fail their duty—a darkly humorous allegory for divine judgment or perhaps the constant scrutiny of public life. The crew, unnerved, quickly departs. After passing “Cloud Cuckoo Town,” they are lowered back to Earth, only to be swallowed whole by a monstrous whale, an astonishing 187.5 miles long.
Inside the whale’s belly, they discover an entire world: forests, animals, and even civilizations of fish people who are, predictably, at war. Lucian and his men survive there for almost two years, caught in the endless “belly wars,” before concocting an escape plan. They set the internal forests ablaze, causing the whale to die over 13 days. They then pry open its mouth and sail out, a truly imaginative escape sequence.
The adventures continue with a 30-day journey across frozen ice, a hunting expedition on a desert island, a voyage through a sea of milk, and an island made of cheese. They encounter “cork feet” who can walk on water and eventually reach the “Island of the Blessed,” a gold-walled afterlife kingdom with emerald fortifications. Here, Lucian meets veterans of the Trojan War, philosophical figures like Pythagoras and Homer, and witnesses celestial court cases. Notably, “Plato was not there. It was said that he was living in an imaginary city under the constitution and laws that he himself wrote”—a famously “spicy” jab at Plato’s utopian ideals.
After six months, a rebellion on the island forces Lucian and his party to leave, though the demigod Rhadamanthus assures him of a future return and points to six great islands beyond, predicting more adventures before he can finally reach his homeland. The narrative concludes abruptly mid-journey between these landmasses, with Lucian promising to tell “What happened on that island… in the next book.” However, as noted by a disgruntled Greek scholar in a surviving copy, Lucian never wrote a sequel—a final, meta-fictional lie that solidifies his reputation as the ancient world’s most cunning literary trickster and the pioneer of an absurd, yet profoundly insightful, “True Story” of earliest known science fiction.
Unraveling the Absurd Anachronism: Your Questions Answered
What is ‘A True Story’?
‘A True Story’ is considered the earliest known science fiction book, written in the 2nd Century A.D. by Lucian of Samosata.
Who was Lucian of Samosata?
Lucian of Samosata was an ancient Greek writer who lived in the 2nd Century A.D. He was known for his sharp wit and creating humorous, satirical stories.
What kind of adventures happen in ‘A True Story’?
The book describes fantastical journeys, including space travel to the Moon, encounters with aliens, and an interplanetary war between the Moon and Sun kingdoms.
Is ‘A True Story’ meant to be believed as a real account?
No, Lucian openly states in the very beginning that the entire book is a work of fiction. He used this declaration to cleverly satirize other authors who claimed their embellished travelogues were true.