The First Men in the Moon

In July 1969, 90-year-old Julius Bedford recounts the legend of the first Moon journey to his young listener Jim. He frames the story as a memory of two men in 1909 and the extraordinary invention that enabled it. The narration sets the stage for a science-fiction adventure that blends history and myth.

As a young man, Bedford meets Professor Arthur Cavor in Apuldram, where Cavor has invented 'Cavorite', a substance that blocks gravity and makes spaceflight possible. Bedford sees the profit potential and urges cooperation to build a lunar craft. Their alliance marks the spark that will send them to the Moon.

The duo works to construct a cast-iron sphere capable of spaceflight. They test its mechanisms and prepare for the long journey, chasing the dream of leaving Earth behind. The project represents the turning point from invention to voyage.

The sphere lands on the lunar surface, where the explorers discover an oxygen atmosphere frozen in the soil and released by direct sunlight. They are soon captured by the Moon's inhabitants, the Selenites. The encounter marks the first contact with an alien civilization.

After revival, Bedford and Cavor attempt to communicate with the Selenites. They are prodded toward the lunar abyss, and Bedford's reaction leads to the accidental killing of several Selenites. To give Bedford a chance to escape, the two men decide to split up, with Cavor staying behind.

Bedford discovers the Selenites' underground spacecraft and uses it to escape the Moon's confines. He maneuvers the controls, nearly crashing into the Sun, before regaining control and heading back toward Earth.

The recovered sphere carries Bedford through space and lands near the English coast, close to West Wittering. He clings to the hope of rescuing Cavor, but the mission's specifics have changed, and help remains elusive. This homecoming is fraught with longing and uncertainty.

A passer-by named Chessocks climbs aboard the Earthbound sphere through an open hatch and is swept into space. Bedford is unaware of this new passenger, and the accidental launch foils any immediate attempt to rescue Cavor. The event introduces a new, unforeseen complication to their plan.

Back on the Moon, Cavor remains a prisoner who uses the opportunity to teach the Selenites English and a slice of human history. He also reveals the formula for Cavorite, planting seeds for the Moon's future choices. The Selenites conclude that humankind is a threat and must be studied further.

Spurred by the belief that humans will attack, the Selenites decide to use Cavorite to build their own spacecraft. Cavor tries to warn Bedford via Morse code and eventually releases all the Cavorite they possess. These actions shift the balance of power away from Earth and toward the Moon.

Cavorite's release triggers the Moon's internal and frozen atmosphere to burst into space, draining the Moon of its breathable air and leaving a barren wasteland. The lunar surface is transformed into a desolate landscape that forever changes its nature. This catastrophe foreshadows the Moon's future with human exploration.

Decades later, Apollo 11's lunar lander steers toward the Moon's surface and finds the wasteland left by Cavorite's release. A lone Selenite observes the Earth spacecraft from a distance, witnessing humanity's reach across space. The story closes by linking the ancient Moon to the modern era.