Edison's Conquest of Mars attempt at fiction, the book was published serially in the "New York Journal". Serviss went on to write other science fiction stories, arguably making him the first American to write science fiction professionally. An early example of what would later be called space opera, "Edison's Conquest of Mars" was also a particularly literal "Edisonade". The book contains some notable "firsts" in science fiction: alien abductions, spacesuits (called "air-tight suits": see Spacesuits in fiction), aliens building the Pyramids, space battles, oxygen pills, asteroid mining and disintegrator rays. The book is set following the abortive Martian attack depicted in "Fighters from Mars",
Malefic planet malefic planets, traditionally Mars and Saturn, is said to be "besieged." Besieged planets are believed to be very restricted in their functioning, so even if a planet is a benefic, the fact that it is besieged means the beneficial attributes it would normally emanate will be lessened whilst in that configuration. Malefic planet In astrology, a malefic planet, or simply malefic, is a planet thought to bring bad luck and misfortune to those born within its radius. Traditionally, Mars and Saturn are considered the malefic planets, with Mars being the lesser malefic and Saturn the greater. They are opposed to