Other Worlds by Hector Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac
"Other Worlds" encompasses two notable novels of space travel, "A Voyage to the Moon" and "A Voyage to the Sun," penned by the French satirist Cyrano de Bergerac in the mid-17th century. Initially published in 1657, these works faced significant censorship under the editorial hand of Father Henri Lebret, who omitted critical passages regarding politics and religion, obscuring Cyrano's original intentions. In these narratives, the protagonist Dyrcona embarks on whimsical journeys that challenge contemporary scientific beliefs and social norms.
Dyrcona's adventures illustrate key astronomical theories, such as Copernicus's heliocentrism, through humorous and imaginative scenarios. For instance, he ascends to the Moon tied to a rocket, emphasizing a playful yet critical exploration of gravity and other worlds. Throughout his travels, Dyrcona encounters various beings and scenarios that provoke reflections on morality and religion, often contrasting with the harsh realities of life on Earth. The novels showcase a blend of satire and philosophical inquiry, where Dyrcona meets historical figures who question traditional biblical narratives, reflecting the author's critique of Christianity. Collectively, "Other Worlds" presents a rich tapestry of early science fiction, characterized by its imaginative storytelling and underlying social commentary.
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Other Worlds
First published:Histoire comique des états et empires de la lune (1657; English translation as Selenarchia: Or, The Government of the World in the Moon, 1659) and Histoire comique des empires du soleil (1657; the two novels together often are referred to as L’autre monde; English translation of both works as The Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon and Sun, 1687); text restored in Œuvres (1957); English translation of restored text as Other Worlds: The Comical History of the States and Empires of the Moon and Sun (1965)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Science fiction—cosmic voyage
Time of work: The mid-seventeenth century
Locale: France, Quebec, the Moon, and the Sun
The Plot
These two novels of space travel (often referred to by scholars by the titles A Voyage to the Moon and A Voyage to the Sun) first appeared in print in 1657 in editions prepared for publication by Father Henri Lebret. For more than 250 years after his death, Cyrano de Bergerac was considered a rather incompetent novelist, but the discovery in the early years of the twentieth century of two manuscript versions of A Voyage to the Moon revealed that Father Lebret systematically had eliminated almost all passages critical of politics and religion. All modern editions and translations have been based on these manuscripts and not on the posthumously published 1657 edition, which distorted Cyrano’s intentions. No manuscript has been found for his A Voyage to the Sun. Most critics agree that A Voyage to the Sun, as presented by Father Lebret, is much more tame and less interesting than the manuscript versions of his A Voyage to the Moon.
The principal character in both first-person narratives is a Frenchman named Dyrcona, an obvious anagram for “Cyrano de.” In A Voyage to the Moon, Dyrcona tries to demonstrate both the validity of Nicolaus Copernicus’ theory that Earth revolves around the Sun and the possibility of space travel. Cyrano uses humor and creativity in providing practical illustrations of scientific theories. Scientists such as Copernicus and Johannes Kepler had argued that Earth revolved around the sun and was not the center of the universe as traditional Christian theologians had claimed. During Cyrano’s lifetime, the writings of Copernicus and Kepler were still considered controversial. Cyrano illustrates the Copernican theory in a witty manner. Dyrcona ties several bottles filled with dew around his waist, and the hot sun lifts him in the sky for several hours until all the dew evaporates. Instead of returning to France, Dyrcona lands on the outskirts of Quebec City. Cyrano thus suggests that because Earth revolves around the Sun, it was only natural for Dyrcona not to return to the spot from which he had ascended into the sky.
As would be the case for travelers in many later science-fiction novels, Dyrcona does not immediately realize where he is. After his arrival in Quebec, he encounters many French speakers, but he does not recognize any cities or towns. He is confused when people assure him that he is definitely in France, but it takes a while for Dyrcona to understand that they mean new France (that is, Quebec) and not the France in Europe.
In both novels, Dyrcona becomes the victim of intolerant priests who wish to try him on the charge of sorcery. It behooves Dyrcona to flee as quickly as possible in order to avoid being burned at the stake. In both novels, Dyrcona resorts to space travel in order to avoid persecution from religious fanatics.
In A Voyage to the Moon, Dyrcona ties himself to a large fireworks rocket that has been placed in the main plaza of Quebec City. After the fuse burns down, Dyrcona and the rocket are projected high into the sky. The gravitational pull of the Moon takes Dyrcona toward it and away from Earth. In A Voyage to the Sun, Dyrcona escapes from his prison cell by building a hollow machine filled with concave mirrors. The bright sun shines on the mirrors and lifts Dyrcona and his machine directly into the sky, but this time gravity takes him to the Sun and not to the Moon. Both travels are extremely fanciful, but they illustrate the existence of gravity.
As did many later writers of science-fiction novels of interplanetary travel, Cyrano describes other worlds as being systematically different from Earth. On the Moon, those who walk on two feet rather than four, such as human beings and monkeys, are considered to be inferior creatures. On Earth, many creative writers live in poverty and have little to eat, whereas lazy people who inherit fortunes never starve. In a lunar restaurant, the opposite is the case: Clients pay for their meals with poems, and the better the poem, the more the client can eat. There are no starving writers on the Moon.
Like many other fictional interplanetary travelers, Dyrcona meets famous dead people, but these eminent characters speak in a way that surprises Dyrcona and encourages Cyrano’s readers to reflect on a wide variety of moral and religious questions. On the Moon, Dyrcona finds himself in the Garden of Paradise. The Old Testament prophets Enoch and Elijah, whom he meets there, make fun of the biblical story of creation and express serious doubts about the truth of many biblical events. On the Moon, Dyrcona also encounters the Demon of Socrates, who challenges such basic beliefs of Christianity as the existence of miracles, the immortality of human souls, and the divine creation of the universe. Cyrano is careful in attributing such heretical views to fictional characters, but he did not fool Father Lebret, who understood that these two novels expressed systematic criticism of Christianity. It is not surprising that Father Lebret chose to censor both works.