Off on a Comet! A Journey Through Planetary Space (A Sequel to "To the Sun!")

Philadelphia: Claxton, Remsen & Haffelfnger, 1878. Hardcover. Good. xii, [1], 14-472 p., interspersed with plates. 19 cm. Frontispiece and 35 other b&w plates. Brown cloth with black and gold impressing. Front cover shows skygazers in a village, embossed in black below a sky full of gilt twinkling stars and the comet itself streaming towards the horizon. Spine shows figures in song at the bottom and dancing at the top. Mylar wrap, removed for photos. Moderate wear to corners, edges and spine ends. A little rubbing to spine. Hinges cracking internally. A few small spots. A couple of signatures jutting out slightly.

Part two of "Hector Servadac." Several people have been carried away by a comet contacting the Earth. The comet passes by various bodies in the Solar System before returning the travelers to our own planet. Verne originally intended all his characters to die in the collision. His French publisher, however, pointed out his large juvenile readership and Verne was forced to create an optomistic, if less likely, ending. Myers 33. Taves & Michaluk V016.