The Consolidator

The Consolidator or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon.

This 1705 novel is a prime example of how interplanetary travel was used to satirize earthly mores, politics and society. In spite of its overt satirical purposes, the novel is original in its attempt to give a scientific underpinning to its fantasy, including a flight to the moon by means of a flying machine powered by an internal combustion engine.