Journey to Venus
Encyclopedia
Journey to Venus the Primeval World; Its Wonderful Creations and Gigantic Monsters is an 1895
science fiction
novel written by Gustavus W. Pope. The book was a sequel to Pope's novel of the previous year, Journey to Mars
. The Venus volume features the same hero and heroine, Lt. Frederick Hamilton, USN
, and his love interest the Martian princess Suhlamia. They travel to Venus on a Martian "ethervolt" spacecraft.
The publisher promoted the book as "full of exciting adventures, hairbreadth escapes, and perilous vicissitudes, among primeval monsters and semi-human creatures, the episodes following each other in such breathless succession that the interest of the reader never flags."
Modern critics have noted the book largely for its depiction of giant dinosaur
-like Venusian beasts. Pope's pair of novels on Mars
and Venus
(volumes in a projected Romances of the Planets series that the author never continued) were precursors of popular planetary adventure novels of the twentieth century by Edgar Rice Burroughs
, Otis Adelbert Kline
, and other writers.
The original edition of Journey to Venus from Arena Publishing Co.
featured sixteen illustrations by "Miss Fairfax and Mrs. McAuley." The ensuing "paper-covered" edition reduced the illustrations to three. After the 1896 bankruptcy of Arena Publishing, Journey to Venus was reprinted in 1897 by the New York firm F. T. Neely, with the reduced number of three illustrations.
1895 in literature
The year 1895 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:* Carlyle's House in Chelsea opens to the public.* Robert Frost marries Elinor Miriam White.* Ernest Thayer recites his poem, Casey at the Bat, at a Harvard class reunion....
science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novel written by Gustavus W. Pope. The book was a sequel to Pope's novel of the previous year, Journey to Mars
Journey to Mars
Journey to Mars the Wonderful World: Its Beauty and Splendor; Its Mighty Races and Kingdoms; Its Final Doom is an 1894 science fiction novel written by Gustavus W. Pope. The book has attracted increased contemporary attention as a precedent and possible source for the famous Barsoom novels of...
. The Venus volume features the same hero and heroine, Lt. Frederick Hamilton, USN
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, and his love interest the Martian princess Suhlamia. They travel to Venus on a Martian "ethervolt" spacecraft.
The publisher promoted the book as "full of exciting adventures, hairbreadth escapes, and perilous vicissitudes, among primeval monsters and semi-human creatures, the episodes following each other in such breathless succession that the interest of the reader never flags."
Modern critics have noted the book largely for its depiction of giant dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
-like Venusian beasts. Pope's pair of novels on Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
(volumes in a projected Romances of the Planets series that the author never continued) were precursors of popular planetary adventure novels of the twentieth century by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
, Otis Adelbert Kline
Otis Adelbert Kline
Otis Adelbert Kline born in Chicago, Illinois, USA, was an adventure novelist and literary agent during the pulp era. Much of his work first appeared in the magazine Weird Tales. Kline was an amateur orientalist and a student of Arabic, like his friend and sometime collaborator, E...
, and other writers.
The original edition of Journey to Venus from Arena Publishing Co.
Arena Publishing Co.
Arena Publishing Company was an American book and magazine publishing firm of the late nineteenth century, founded by author and editor B. O. Flower. Headquartered in Copley Square in Boston, the firm specialized in fiction and non-fiction books on the progressive causes of the 1890s...
featured sixteen illustrations by "Miss Fairfax and Mrs. McAuley." The ensuing "paper-covered" edition reduced the illustrations to three. After the 1896 bankruptcy of Arena Publishing, Journey to Venus was reprinted in 1897 by the New York firm F. T. Neely, with the reduced number of three illustrations.