Aleriel; or, A Voyage to Other Worlds by Wladislaw Lach-Szyrma (1841 – 1915)

When an Oxford undergraduate meets by chance, a mysterious stranger, during a walking tour of France, he does not know that the unusual charismatic being he has made the acquaintance of, is in fact a disguised alien being, named Aleriel. Coming from the planet of peace, Venus, this space traveler claims to be visiting Earth for the first time. Thus begins an unusual interplanetary friendship, that takes our Oxford graduate on an amazing adventure, first into the war-torn streets of Paris, then across the English Channel, to busy London and finally on to tranquil Oxford. Aleriel then leaves his friend and explores many parts of the earth, to discover the state of mankind and humanity, before departing in his ‘ether car’ for the Moon, then returning to his home planet to report all his findings to advanced beings there. Aleriel next experiences, with two Venusian companions, an perilous, exciting and illuminating tour, of the solar system, visiting first Mars, the asteroids and planetary moons and finally, mighty and mysterious Saturn and Jupiter. All this extra-terrestrial experience, Aleriel records in a fantastic journal, which arrives mysteriously at our now-married undergraduate’s home. It is an incredible story. But is it really the truth or just a very clever hoax? Our young couple travel to meet Aleriel in the mountains of Switzerland, determined to find out. A contemporary of both Jules Verne, the fantasy Victorian novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and later the futuristic writer HG Wells, This 1883 novel by Polish-English curate, author and historian: Wladislav Lach-Szyrma, is an extraordinary, futuristic and visionary tale, will entertain, enlighten and intrigue every listener. Nigel C.