Planetary Journeys and Earthly Sketches

1908 Raffalovich, George (1880-1958). Planetary Journeys and Earthly Sketches (London: Arnold Fairbairns, 1908), 1-52. New ed. as On the Loose (London: Publishing Office of the Equinox, [1910]), 1-52. Collection of stories, the first four of which were originally published in New Age--“A Trip to a Planet” (1-16) in no. 692 (ns 2.7) (December 14, 1907): 132-33; “On the Loose” (17-30) in no. 695 (ns 2.10) (January 4, 1908): 192-93; “The Hardy Annual” (31-41) in no. 698 (ns 2.13) (January 25, 1908): 252-53); and “The Windmillers” (42-52) as “The Wind-Millers” no. 702 (ns 2.17) (February 22, 1908) 331-32. L, PSt

Four connected stories. “A Trip to Another Planet” is about a vaguely described eutopia with no prejudice, a single language, no politics or religion, no marriage and few women or children. “On the Loose” renews contact with the visitors from another planet and is mostly a critique of the Earth. In “The Hardy Annual” another planet is visited that is inhabited by the Greek Empedocles, his descendants, and beings he has created. “The Windmillers” describes the society of that planet, which stresses science and mutual respect. The other stories, two of which were also published in New Age, are not utopian. The author was born in France, lived in the U.K. from 1906 to 1915, and then in the U,S, until his death.