A leading inhabitant,1897. Photomechanical reproduction of a pen and ink drawing. Plummer is introduced to one of the Venusians by the clergyman, as Zumeena looks on. This is a scene from Jane’s novel, To Venus in Five Seconds. Jane’s turgid fantasy explores contemporary themes such as racial alienation and colonization, vivisection (Plummer has been taken to Venus because he is a fine specimen of manhood, worth studying), and the nature of society. His visualization of the inhabitants as ant-like insects recalls Claude Shepperson’s treatment of the Selenites in H. G. Well’s ‘The First Men in the Moon’ (1901).
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Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.
Bibliography
Jane, Fred T. To Venus in Five Seconds, with illustrations by the author. London: Innes, 1897.
Created 26 March 2026