Written in 1835, this is a unique example of sci-fi wrtten by a man much better known for dark and fantastical horror. Intended by Poe to be a hoax, this tale describes a journey in a balloon that includes the view of the Earth from space and a volcanic, seething satellite.
From the wiki:
"The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall" (1835) is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in the June 1835 issue of the monthly magazine Southern Literary Messenger as "Hans Phaall -- A Tale", intended by Poe to be a hoax.
The story is regarded as one of the early examples of the modern science fiction genre. The story traces the journey of a voyage to the moon.
Poe planned to continue the hoax in further installments, but was pre-empted by the Great Moon Hoax which started in the August 25, 1835 issue of the New York Sun daily newspaper. Poe later wrote that the satirical tone of the story made it easy for readers to see through the supposed hoax.
Poe's story had an influence on, and is referenced in, Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon, which can be seen as a retelling of the story.[5] Verne acknowledged Poe as the creator of the "scientific novel" when he referred to him as 'le créateur du roman merveilleux scientifique'.
Poe later published a similar hoax, "The Balloon-Hoax", in the New York Sun in 1844.
