The king of the moon and the king of the sun are engaged in all-out war. The unusual steeds are only the first strange creatures they encounter: a short while later, warriors arrive on fleas the size of 12 elephants. Once they arrive on the moon, our heroes are startled to see men riding three-headed vultures as though they were horses.

Lucian is often cited as the predecessor of Jules Verne, but he neatly presages Dorothy’s transport to Oz, too. In his True History, he takes his heroes on a trip to the moon, which they reach after being carried into the air by a whirlwind that lasts for seven days. The 2nd-Century satirist, Lucian, can lay a pretty convincing claim to writing the first science fiction.

While many of us look to the heavens and wonder how many stars there could be, and how far away they are, others look up and think: I wonder who lives there? And do they have antennae? Some of the earliest storytellers were inspired – just as modern storytellers are – by looking up at the night skies.

Download toy story martians