The True History

Lucian of Samostata, 2nd century AD. Often called the first science-fiction narrative — a voyage beyond Earth. Begins with a confession of lying; uses humot to expose the limits of human knowledge Journey to the Moon, interplanetary wars, alien societies, reproductive absurdities (pregnant men, vine women, grape-born offspring), hybrids (fish centaurs, whale villages). Blends Homeric myth, travel narrative, and absurd exaggeration — an early meta-commentary on storytelling itself.