About this ebook
A new translation directly from the original French manuscript of Voltaire's 1752 Micromégas. This edition also contains supplemental material on Voltaire including an afterword by the translator, a timeline of Voltaire's life and works, summaries of each of the works in his corpus, and a glossary of Philosophic Terminology used by Voltaire.
This is Voltaire's philosophical novel about giants from other planets who visit Earth and interact with its inhabitants. This is one of the first Science Fiction novels ever written, similar to The Day the Earth Stood Still or War of the Worlds. To two giant beings, one from Sirius and the other from Saturn, visit Earth and interact with humans. The extraordinary story is a satire on human vanity and the limitations of human knowledge and experience, and it reflects Voltaire's fascination with Newtonian science, planet formation and rational inquiry. The Saturnian and the Sirian find the philosophy of man to be laughable, but marvel and wonder at the genius of the philosophical Moths.
About the author
Voltaire (1694-1778), born François-Marie Arouet, was a towering figure in the European Enlightenment, renowned for his wit, satirical genius, and fierce advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion and free trade. Born on November 21, 1694, in Paris, Voltaire was educated by the Jesuits at the Collège Louis-le-Grand, where he demonstrated an early talent in literature and theater. Despite a brief stint studying law, he devoted himself to writing, rapidly gaining fame for his sharp wit and eloquence. Voltaire's literary career was marked by numerous conflicts with French authorities, leading to periods of imprisonment and exile. His most famous stay at the Bastille prison was due to his satirical verse, which mocked the French Regent. This propensity for critique often saw him in conflict with the establishment, but it also earned him a reputation as a champion of the oppressed and a critic of religious and political dogma, including the Atheistic dogmatism of the French Revolution.
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