The First Science-Fiction?

Question

What do you think is the first science fiction book? The Iliad/odyssey,
More's utopia, or Mary Shelly's Frankenstein? give your reason too.

Answer 1

The Iliad and the Odyssey are sagas based on remembered history, and have nothing to do with SF.
More's Utopia was about political and social conditions, so it also does not qualify as SF.
Frankenstein, although it uses as a premise the power of science, is a gothic tale and has always been considered one.
As far as I know, Jules Verne deserves the credit for developing science fiction as a literary genre. "Around the World in 80 Days" was an early work of SF, as was "20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea." HG Wells was also early.

Answer 2

Actually, Poe had a short story about a journey to the moon, and I'm almost sure he wrote it before Verne.

About the choices you gave, I'm not so sure, as a previous user said, neither The Iliad or Odyssey qualify. More's book is just an allegory. Perhaps Frankenstein, but careful with that.

Answer 3

H.G. Wells (in addition to Verne) is known as one of the "father's of science fiction". In the 1890's he published such famous tales as War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, and The Island of Doctor Moreau. I've read all but the last. I really enjoyed WoW and The Invisible Man, but wasn't as impressed by The Time Machine (although this is probably the deepest of the three). Although he was published a few decades after Verne, I feel that Wells truly opens up SCIENCE FICTION as a genre.

I agree with what Gawainer said about the other choices you put out.

Answer 4

I think it is Voltaire, late 18th century. A man got to the moon by sitting in an iron chair. He took a magnet and threw it out in front of him. The chair was attracted to the magnet, so he rose. He picked up the magnet and threw it farther out. Eventually, he got to the moon.

Answer 5

What Poe wrote was actually a newspaper hoax about people living on the moon... one of several he authored.