‘I saw that this diarist was either a
monomaniac, a dreamer, or a man who
had undergone a series of the strangest
experiences that ever fell to the lot of man.’
When editor Joseph Fraser is asked to
publish the diaries of a local merchant, he
can hardly believe what he is reading. Adam
Jacobs has been leading a strange double
life: split between the harsh struggles of
colonial Melbourne, and the wonders of
a technologically advanced, harmonious
existence on Mars – where diminutive
‘Martials’ promenade along clean streets,
travel in fl ying machines, and enjoy bountiful
produce. Here nature is contained, and social
order is complete.
Originally published in 1889, Melbourne and
Mars is at once a fascinating early example
of Australian science fi ction and a utopian
socialist manifesto. It dreams of a society
without money, social disadvantage or crime;
where free education, electricity, and everyday
comforts are provided to all. As we astrotravel with the narrator between the opposing
realities, the question emerges: how will Adam
Jacobs reconcile his different worlds?
Leave a Reply