''First Men to the Moon'' is a

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

by rocketry expert Wernher von Braun, published in 1960. The book was designed and illustrated by Fred Freeman. Portions of the novella had previously been serialized in the American syndicated Sunday magazine supplement, '' This Week'' between 1958 and 1959. Von Braun dedicated the book to his daughters Iris and Margrit, "who will live in a world in which flights to the moon will be commonplace". It was included in '' The New York Times'' " 00Outstanding Books for Young Readers" on November 13, 1960 and was translated into German as ''Erste Fahrt zum Mond'' and French as ''Les premiers hommes sur la lune'', both published in 1961. ''First Men to the Moon'' tells the story of John Mason and Larry Carter, fictional astronauts traveling to the Moon. Von Braun based his novella on his own scientific knowledge and includes technical explanations of the journey and diagrams in footnotes in wide margins on each page. The novella describes the use of a method of investigating the interior of the Moon using

seismograph A seismometer is an instrument that responds to ground noises and shaking such as caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions. They are usually combined with a timing device and a recording device to form a seismograph. The output ...

-equipped solid propellant rockets."Robotics: Pushing the Envelope"
''Centauri Dreams'' by Paul Gilster on September 5, 2012

Reception

In a review of ''First Men to the Moon'' in '' Galaxy Science Fiction'', Floyd C. Gale said that the fictional trip to the Moon was "highly detailed and absorbing", and praised the "exceptional" illustrations. He added that " en the best grounded SF buff will find new and astonishing material over which to dream". Writing in '' The New York Times'' in 1960, Henry W. Hubbard described the story as "average", but called the book "a standout" because of the "authority" von Braun brings to it. Hubbard said the marginal notes on the science behind the journey to the Moon are "excellent" and it is that "scientific solidity" that "is the book's greatest value". Reviewing the book in '' Amazing Stories'', S. E. Cotts wrote that while it appears to target young adults, the technical details of the voyage will appeal to older readers. He felt that where von Braun adds science to the story, the characters tend to become "experimental robots", but when he discusses the science separately in the book's copious margins, the author brings the tale "alive with authority and interest". Science fiction writer and critic,

P. Schuyler Miller Peter Schuyler Miller (February 21, 1912 – October 13, 1974) was an American science fiction writer and critic. Life Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a lifelong interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as ...

described the book as a "thin hybrid" of science and fiction. In a review in '' Analog Science Fact & Fiction'', Miller said the book is " chnically impeccable", but felt it is school library material and "offers very little to adult readers who have any knowledge of science fiction". Miller did, however, compliment the technical discussions and diagrams in the wide margins, adding that it made the book "unusual and interesting."

References

Works cited

External links

*{{isfdb title, id=830170, title=First Men to the Moon
"Werner von Braun: An Ethical Analysis", Ian F. Crowley & Joshua R. Trudeau
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Roger D. Launius Roger D. Launius (born May 15, 1954) is an American historian and author of Lithuanian descent, a former chief historian of NASA. He retired in 2016 as Associate Director for Collections and Curatorial Affairs for the Smithsonian National Air ...

"The Legacy of Project Apollo"
NASA History Office 1960 American novels 1960 science fiction novels American science fiction novels American speculative fiction novellas Novels set on the Moon Space exploration novels Hard science fiction Novels first published in serial form Wernher von Braun Holt, Rinehart and Winston books