Novels Set On The Moon
Submitted by bertie on Mon, 08/30/2004 - 06:57
Tags:
- MILLENNIUM Ben Bova [1976]
- THE MOON IS HELL John W.Campbell [1950]
- A FALL OF MOONDUST Arthur C.Clarke [1961]
- THE MOON IS A HARSH MISTRESS Robert A.Heinlein [1966]
- THE TROUBLE WITH TYCHO Clifford D.Simak [1961]
- STEEL BEACH John Varley [1991]
- THE FIRST MEN IN THE MOON H.G.Wells [1901]
Even though the novel isn't set on the moon:
Have you read Paul Auster's Moon Palace?
No, I've never heard of it before. But I've just read your mini-review (which I came to by way of Google). You don't say whether the novel has much to do with the moon or the moon landing, so I'm a little puzzled as to the relevance.
I see the point.
The moon plays a quite important role.
1. literally: 'Moon Palace' is a Chinese restaurant in the book. This makes the link to Kitty Wu, the protagonist's great love.
2. a considerable part of the book plays during the night.
3. The moon has got a dreamy, romantic quality. This corresponds to the prevailing mood of the whole story. Moon Palace is also the palace of dreams.
4. There are several allusions to Cyrano de Bergerac.
5. The major part of the story plays in the Wild West of the United States (Utah, etc.). This landscapes has got a certain resemblance with the surface of the moon.
6. An important theme of the book are the escape from daily life and the urge for adventures. This is certainly a reference to Kennedy's 'slogan' of a new fronteer. The moon landing has extended the possibilities of escape. It has created this new fronteer.
7. The book plays in 1969, the year of the moon landing.
8. There are some lunatics in the novel.
I'm laughing, not at you, but (I hope) with you. That's some funny reaching, and, too, some legitimate relevancies. Not many people know that Cyrano was a real person who, amongst other accomplishments, wrote one of the first novels about a trip to the moon (it isn't on my list because it's set on a fantasy moon rather than the real moon).
That's exactly one of the points mentioned in the book. The protagonist tells some friends about Cyrano de Bergerac, but they don't want to believe that he really existed.
I'm looking for the title AND author of a novel in which two children stow away on a rocket to the Moon. The rocket lands with the aid of a parachute (!). I've forgotten the rest of the story.
I THINK the book was written in the 40s or 50s but I'm not sure of that. I do know I read it then.
Sound familiar to anyone?