Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space

When a comet grazes the Earth, Captain Hector Servadac, his indomitable orderly Ben Zoof, and a scattered band of companions from the Mediterranean's shores find themselves adrift in space aboard the comet Gallia — passengers on a new world hurtling toward the sun. Over two extraordinary years, they sweep past Venus, endure a bitter deep-freeze winter far beyond Mars, and debate their impossible fate with the stubborn rigor of soldiers and scientists. Verne's 1877 adventure is at once a rollicking tale of survival and a playful tour of the astronomy of its day, complete with a hoarding peddler, a pair of resourceful Spanish children, and one gloriously eccentric astronomer. This edition presents the COMPLETE, UNABRIDGED original text, accompanied by a new introduction and reader's notes illuminating the science, satire, and historical context of Verne's cosmic voyage. Part of The Founding Texts Library.