The Consolidator Explained

The Consolidator
Title Orig:The Consolidator or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon
Author:Daniel Defoe
Country:England
Language:English
Genre:Novel
Publisher:W. Taylor
Release Date:1705

The Consolidator; or, Memoirs of Sundry Transactions from the World in the Moon is a fictional adventure by Daniel Defoe published in 1705.[1] It is a satirical novel that mixes fantasy, political satire, and social satire.

Plot summary

The narrator travels to the Moon through the means of the titular "consolidator" – a chariot with two feathered winged creatures.

Analysis

The novel is a political satire of the British political and society of Defoe's era. For example, each of the chariot's winged steeds represents one of the houses of the Parliament of England.

The chariot has also been described as one of the earliest spaceships (or airships) in known fiction.[2] [3] This, in addition to its portrayal of the Moon and the concept of space flight, resulted in the work being classified as one of the proto-SF works.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Daniel Defoe's 1705 Fantasy about Chinese Mapmakers on the Moon. Karen Severud Cook. Icaci.org. 15 November 2018.
  2. Book: Ash, Brian. The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. 1977. Harmony Books. 978-0-517-53174-7. en.
  3. Web site: Authors : Defoe, Daniel : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia. 2021-09-04. www.sf-encyclopedia.com.
  4. Web site: Themes : Space Flight : SFE : Science Fiction Encyclopedia. 2021-09-04. www.sf-encyclopedia.com.