Published in 1903, this is one of the very first serious novels about traveling to the moon. Forget rockets—the heroes get there in a craft powered by a mysterious anti-gravity metal.

The Story

A crew of Polish scientists and adventurers, led by the brilliant Marek, makes the incredible journey. But their triumph turns to disaster when they crash-land. They find a moon that's habitable, but its society is in ruins. The ruling class, the Shern, are cruel and psychic beings who enslave the native, human-like Morans. Marek and his crew are caught in the middle. They have the technology to be gods or liberators, and the desperate Morans see them as their only hope to overthrow their oppressors.

Why You Should Read It

What blew me away wasn't the science (which is charmingly old-school) but the razor-sharp social commentary. Żuławski uses the moon as a blank slate to ask tough questions about power, revolution, and corruption. Can you fight tyranny without becoming a tyrant yourself? The characters are deeply flawed and real—they bicker, make selfish choices, and grapple with the immense weight of their actions. It feels less like a fantasy and more like a historical account of a revolution that went wrong.

Final Verdict

Perfect for fans of classic sci-fi who love big ideas, like H.G. Wells or the political layers in Dune. If you enjoy stories where the biggest enemy isn't aliens, but human (or lunar) nature, you'll be glued to the page. It's a gripping, surprisingly dark, and thought-provoking adventure that proves some questions about society are timeless, no matter what planet you're on.