The Consolidator
The Consolidator or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon.
This 1705 novel is a prime example of how interplanetary travel was used to satirize earthly mores, politics and society. In spite of its overt satirical purposes, the novel is original in its attempt to give a scientific underpinning to its fantasy, including a flight to the moon by means of a flying machine powered by an internal combustion engine.
Daniel Defoe
Daniel Defoe (ca. 1659-1661 – 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English writer, journalist, and pamphleteer, who gained fame for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britain and is among the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than 500 books, pamphlets and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He was also a pioneer of economic journalism.