The First Men in the Moon is the first science fiction novel of the 20th century, published in 1901.
Bedford, a businessman lose his wealth and goes to Lympne at Ken, to write a play to clear his debts. He meets Dr. Cavor, a scientist who is working on an antigravity material. Dr. Cavor succeeds and his curiosity wants him to go on a journey to moon. Our two protagonist are at odds. Cavor is inspired by science for man's benefit. Bedford the practical man wants the scientific advances for financial gains. Bedford joins Cavor in the mission. Cavor builds a spherical spaceship with shutters made of antigravity material, which he calls as cavorite. When the shutters are closed gravity does not act and the spaceship flies. When a shutter is opened the spaceship lands in that direction as the gravity begins acting on it. Having got the spaceship ready both men embark on their journey to moon. They land in the moon and are amazed to find that they can jump longer distances easily. In their amazement they lose their way to spaceship. Feeling hungry they eat some vegetations found on the moon's surface and soon becomes drowsy. They wake up to realize that they are caught by the selenites, the ant like moon people. Will they make their way back to the earth?
"What is this spirit in man that urges him forever to depart from happiness and security, to toil, to place himself in danger, even to risk a reasonable certainty of death? It dawned upon me up there in the moon as a thing I ought always to have known, that man is not made simply to go about being safe and comfortable and well fed and amused. Against his interest, against his happiness he is constantly being driven to do unreasonable things. Some force not himself impels him and go he must."
Wells imagination is astounding. I enjoyed exploring the moon with Bedford and Cavor.
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