Micromégas

Voltaire · 1752 · Short Story

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Directly continued Swift's tradition of using encounters with vastly different beings (in this case, literal aliens) to satirize human vanity, philosophical disputes, and societal norms.

What it is

Two giant aliens, one from Sirius and one from Saturn, visit Earth and observe humanity, finding their concerns and philosophies trivial in the grand cosmic scheme. This philosophical tale satirizes human vanity and the limitations of human knowledge.

↑Inherited from(1)

Gulliver's Travels· 1726↑ open

Voltaire explicitly acknowledged Swift's influence, and Micromégas employs the same satirical technique of contrasting human society with 'alien' perspectives, but with beings from other planets rather than remote Earth nations.

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No known descendants in the dataset yet.