<---  That's the cover of my book.  Isn't it peachilicious?!



Introduction -

    Celestial Voyages is a narrative resulting from the journal of Curtis Matricks, a nineteen year old from Ohio in the dawn of the twentieth century.  Though he is a down-to-earth rural physician's son, he has amazing interest and talent in astronomy.  Through diligent studies in a rather peculiar hobby, he became familiar with the millions of tiny stars that lit up the clear night skies and the motions of the planets that orbit the Sun.  After winning a worldwide contest in astronomical knowledge, Curtis receives an amazing offer: a position in an expedition into Outer Space.  This was an offer that no one would refuse, and so Curtis hurried to England to join Mason Star, the man who sponsored the contest.

Star was one of the wealthiest and most eccentric industrialists in the whole world.  He kept to himself and his colossal shipping company; always building on his strange project he called "Star’s Tower" (though many newspapers of the time labeled the immense structure "Star’s Folly" and denounced his eccentricity).  He also was well known for his numerous contests, searching out and testing the best mathematicians, scientists, astronomers, and engineers.  It was much to the world's amazement in December of 1900 when he revealed his stellar pet project.  Instead of merely constructing an enormous tower, he had built the world’s first station in Space.  On it he built the amazing Star’s Comet, a ship capable of traveling between the worlds of the solar system.  After the most prestigious christening ceremony in history, the crew of the Comet set off for a three-day journey to Luna, the Earth’s Moon.

Once there, they worked diligently on studying the rocky surface.  The barren landscape, however, is merely a veil to cover the world below the exterior.  After a surprising discovery of roots deep below the surface, they journey into caverns to discover a whole world of insect-like Selenites.  The first expedition to meet the Selenites, however, ends in disaster as Star and a group of the crew are captured.  Through a bit of a coincidence, the humans are rescued and rejoin their newly empowered crewmates.  The story continues, showing the amazing cavern world of the Selenites and the short-term implications of imperialism.


History-

    Celestial Voyages is very reminiscent of other Victorian science fiction adventures by authors such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.  However, unlike those writers who were predicting the future, I have the opportunity of telling what might have happened long ago.  Armed with history, the story gains a whole new level.  There are several appearances by famous people of the day (including Queen Victoria, Samuel Clemens, President McKinley, and Thomas Edison, as well as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells themselves).  Events of the day are also followed, with mentioning of the Boer War, Queen Victoria’s death, and so on.

Characters -
    Curtis Matricks - nineteen year old from Ohio with a knack for astronomy.
    Sir Mason Star - eccentric rich Englishman.
    Dr. Gregor van Sparchs - German creator of the Solar Energy Collector.
    Dr. Phillip Wellis - chemist from Texas, co-developer of hydrogen-oxygen combustion rockets.
    Lang Khan - rocketry engineer from China, co-developer of hydrogen-oxygen combustion rockets.
    Katherine MacPherson - Irish mathematician noted for speed, accuracy, and abilities in calculus.
    Dr. Giovanni Tarsini - Italian medical doctor.
    Professor Lukas Conners - Linguist (missing after sabotage of the Amazon Tea Company).
    Louis Pierre - French communications expert, master of radio telegraphy.
    Dr. Elissa Rosiet - French expert in botany and zoology.
    Father Richard Piousse - well-traveled chaplain.
    Sgt. Juan Rodreguez - Spanish artilleryman, fought for Cuban independence in Spanish-American War.
    Mary Star - daughter of Mason Star, his personal secretary.


Themes -

    What good story would not have something that a literature teacher could use to ruin it?  Celestial Voyages holds a number of fascinating themes, including imperialism, technology and advancement, feudalism, and nineteenth-century feminism.  There may even be some I did not mean to put in there.


        <--- Wooo!  Second cover!  Pretty like a city.

Celestial Voyages: Venus

    In the second great adventure, Sir Mason Star leads his felllow explorers to the mysterious, shrouded world of Venus.  During the first part of the book, Star holds a grand exposition in London, showing off the great discoveries the expedition found beneath the surface of the Moon.  Unfortunately, the exposition does not go completely as planned and is interrupted by a group of activists who call themselves Terrestrialists.  These humans are wary of the dangers of interplanetary travel such as disease, interplanetary strife, and general xenophobia and call for an end to Star’s expeditions.

After contending with the Terrestrialists, Mason Star leads his expedition to Venus, the second site for expedition.  Armed with the latest in Edwardian technology, from the ammonia-based refrigeration process to self-contained oxygen suits, the explorers crash-land on the surface of Venus and battle against the hostile environment.  They soon meet plant-like Venusian beings that rule the planet.  In a very interesting society, the Venusians uphold knowledge as power, basing social standing on mental capabilities.  Even more interestingly, the Venusians have strictly biological technology with amazing advancements in medicine and natural science.

From the beginning, there is conflict between the two races.  The Venusians hold the humans as some kind of novel life form and wish to study them accordingly, while the humans do their best to fight for virtue in the intellectualistic world.  At last the humans leave the planet with aid of a Venusian who wishes to accompany them back to Earth, where he can learn everything about the human world.


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