The Brick Moon (Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature)
At a glance:
- Author: Edward Everett Hale
- First Published: 1869
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Science fiction—technocratic
- Time of Work: 1842-1872
- Setting: Naguadavick, Tamworth, and other imaginary places in New England
- Genres: Long fiction, Science fiction
- Subjects: Nineteenth century, New England, Castaways, Satellites, Moon or moons
- Locales: New England
The Plot
One day in the early 1840’s, several Harvard students are discussing astronomy. Someone notes that the North Star makes it easy for sailors to calculate latitude (distance from the equator) but that no corresponding heavenly body assists in the calculation of longitude. As a consequence, many lives have been lost at sea. One of the students, identified only as Q., half-seriously suggests launching an artificial satellite—a brick moon—to correct this heavenly deficiency.
The subject is dropped, and the students go their separate ways. Seventeen years later,...
[The entire page is 996 words long]
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