Roy Rockwood's Through Space to Mars, written in the early years of the 20th century, remains a refreshing, optimistic space adventure for young-at-heart readers even a century later.
Mark and Jack enroll in the Universal Electrical & Chemical College, and meet the inventor Santell Roumann. Santell has discovered a new fuel source called Etherium, and together the group builds a rocket ship and travel to Mars.
This book tells how the journey was made in a strange craft and what happened on Mars.
"[...] "Oh, here's the tube," said Mark as he passed it over.
" "Maybe; but I don't want to get hurt." "You'll not be injured in the least. Look, you're quite a distance away, and even if it does explode and the books are scattered away, it can't hurt much to be hit by one of these volumes.
Published in 1897 (but not translated into English until 1971 as Two Planets), it took a very logical look at the supposition that since ... Thus, it was Martian space travelers who flew to the Earth and set up a base on the North Pole.
Through Space to Mars: Or, The Longest Journey on Record
The story revolves around a thrilling interstellar journey to the planet Mars, filled with adventurous twists and technological wonders. The tale begins with the introduction of the three main characters: Jack, Mark, and Zeph.