What do you think?
Rate this book
Outside the Earth
XX век благодаря успехам ракетной техники и практической космонавтики был назван "веком космоса". У истоков космонавтики стоял наш великий соотечественник Константин Эдуардович Циолковский. В научно-фантастической повести К.Э.Циолковского "Вне Земли" описано путешествие группы землян на пилотируемой реактивной ракете в космическом пространстве и представлен сценарий жизни человека в космосе.
Для широкого круга читателей.
Для широкого круга читателей.
- GenresPhilosophy
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 28, 2025
Amazing, detailed description of a group of scientists who crack spaceflight almost as a hobby - launch into space, go into orbit, visit the moon, explore an asteroid-infested region out as far as Mars, pioneer self-sufficient greenhouse-based colonisation of space (which catches on back on earth and thousands of people start launching into space likewise). Some of the details are wrong (like suspending in water nullifying acceleration) but most are not that far out. Just mad that this was written prior to 1918.
January 10, 2023
Time for a real rarity: "Beyond the Planet Earth" (1916/920) by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. I have an extremely rare 1960 Pergamon Press translation from 1960.
Russian autodidact Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the father of all rocket science and space travel. Inspired by the books of Jules Verne, Tsiolkovsky spent his life working out the physics and theories regarding space flight, and laid the foundations not only of Russian, but also US and German rocket and space science. All in pencil and paper. On the side, Tsiolkovsky also wrote a handful of fictional stories, meant to illustrate, educate and popularise his theories.
One of his few novels was "Beyond the Planet Earth", which first appeared in 1916, and as an expanded version in 1920. In it, a handful of scientists, named after historical thinkers from the whole world, like Da Vinci and Copernicus, discuss --AT LENGTH -- the possibility of space flight in a sort of Platonic conversation. Then we skip ahead in time and see their visions realised, with mankind having united in peace and conquered the moon, as well as built orbiting space stations -- all described in technical detail, with a somewhat whimsical plot attached.
As a novel, it is not particularly riveting, and especially the first half, in which scientist discuss what are now well-known facts about physics and space, as well as many technical details, is a daunting read. But the astounding thing about the second half is how modern it feels. Here are all the building blocks of modern space travel, the two-stage liquid fuel rocket, the orbiting space station, docking procedures, space suits and terraforming, things unheard of in SF literature before the late forties.
For anyone interested in SF history, this is a must-read. However, a vintage copy may be hard to come by and fetch a steep price. The story is available also in the later collection "The Science Fiction of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky", which will also set you back at least some 30 $.
Russian autodidact Konstantin Tsiolkovsky was the father of all rocket science and space travel. Inspired by the books of Jules Verne, Tsiolkovsky spent his life working out the physics and theories regarding space flight, and laid the foundations not only of Russian, but also US and German rocket and space science. All in pencil and paper. On the side, Tsiolkovsky also wrote a handful of fictional stories, meant to illustrate, educate and popularise his theories.
One of his few novels was "Beyond the Planet Earth", which first appeared in 1916, and as an expanded version in 1920. In it, a handful of scientists, named after historical thinkers from the whole world, like Da Vinci and Copernicus, discuss --AT LENGTH -- the possibility of space flight in a sort of Platonic conversation. Then we skip ahead in time and see their visions realised, with mankind having united in peace and conquered the moon, as well as built orbiting space stations -- all described in technical detail, with a somewhat whimsical plot attached.
As a novel, it is not particularly riveting, and especially the first half, in which scientist discuss what are now well-known facts about physics and space, as well as many technical details, is a daunting read. But the astounding thing about the second half is how modern it feels. Here are all the building blocks of modern space travel, the two-stage liquid fuel rocket, the orbiting space station, docking procedures, space suits and terraforming, things unheard of in SF literature before the late forties.
For anyone interested in SF history, this is a must-read. However, a vintage copy may be hard to come by and fetch a steep price. The story is available also in the later collection "The Science Fiction of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky", which will also set you back at least some 30 $.
Want to read
September 13, 2012This is evidently a reissuing of a lot of articles, etc that I read in grainy reprints.
It's past time for such a reintroduction to younger readers. Tsiolkovsky is very far from being forgotten in Russia. There's a monument to him near at least one cosmonaut training center, bearing the motto often translated into English as "The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but nobody can live in the cradle forever".
Tsiolkovsky's work is in large part the result of gendankenexperiments. Legend says that he once jumped out a high window (without a parachute) in order to experience free fall. And okay, that was reckless at best. But a lot of his theories were worked out in thought, based on what he knew about physics, cosmology, etc.
As such, they're bound to be hit or miss. Given how little practical experience Tsiolkovsky had, it's somewhat amazing how high the hit/miss ratio is. Verne, Wells, Doyle, and others who came at matters more from a fictional perspective would have probably given a lot to be so prescient. Some of the stuff is just silly: why would there be precious gems and metals just lying about on the Moon? And wouldn't they be visible from Earth, at least in the form of coruscation?
The main thing, however, is the theme of LIVING in Space. Before Tsiolkovsky, there may have been a few people who spoke of residential spacecraft, some with, and some without, artificial gravity. Tsiolkovsky really launched the idea, and gave it body, diagrams, and even such fine details as habits and reflexes.
Tsiolkovsky fades and waxes; one day he's popular, another almost forgotten. But it's necessary, every once in a while, to dust off the plaques so that another generation can learn where it all started.
It's past time for such a reintroduction to younger readers. Tsiolkovsky is very far from being forgotten in Russia. There's a monument to him near at least one cosmonaut training center, bearing the motto often translated into English as "The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but nobody can live in the cradle forever".
Tsiolkovsky's work is in large part the result of gendankenexperiments. Legend says that he once jumped out a high window (without a parachute) in order to experience free fall. And okay, that was reckless at best. But a lot of his theories were worked out in thought, based on what he knew about physics, cosmology, etc.
As such, they're bound to be hit or miss. Given how little practical experience Tsiolkovsky had, it's somewhat amazing how high the hit/miss ratio is. Verne, Wells, Doyle, and others who came at matters more from a fictional perspective would have probably given a lot to be so prescient. Some of the stuff is just silly: why would there be precious gems and metals just lying about on the Moon? And wouldn't they be visible from Earth, at least in the form of coruscation?
The main thing, however, is the theme of LIVING in Space. Before Tsiolkovsky, there may have been a few people who spoke of residential spacecraft, some with, and some without, artificial gravity. Tsiolkovsky really launched the idea, and gave it body, diagrams, and even such fine details as habits and reflexes.
Tsiolkovsky fades and waxes; one day he's popular, another almost forgotten. But it's necessary, every once in a while, to dust off the plaques so that another generation can learn where it all started.
March 9, 2014
This wasn't a terribly well written book (although that may be because I read a translation into English) and I would've given it fewer stars. However, I give it three stars for sheer weirdness.
I also like that there are actual scientific equations in a book of fiction.
On the other hand, pretty amused by the : who needs clothes in space? we all shower together and live naked together in a space station. That's clearly the most rational thing to do.
I also like that there are actual scientific equations in a book of fiction.
On the other hand, pretty amused by the : who needs clothes in space? we all shower together and live naked together in a space station. That's clearly the most rational thing to do.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews