006 - Pt1 Oxford

In this captivating tale, an Oxford undergraduate stumbles upon a mysterious stranger during a walking tour of France, unaware that this enigmatic being is actually Aleriel, a charismatic alien from the peaceful planet Venus. Claiming to visit Earth for the first time, Aleriel sparks an extraordinary interplanetary friendship that whisks the young man through the war-torn streets of Paris, across the English Channel to bustling London, and finally to the serene backdrop of Oxford. As Aleriel embarks on his own journey to explore humanity and the state of the Earth, he departs in his ether car to the Moon, later returning home to report his findings to advanced beings on Venus. Joined by two companions, Aleriel embarks on a thrilling tour of the solar system, visiting Mars, the asteroids, and the majestic giants Saturn and Jupiter. This incredible adventure is captured in a mysterious journal that eventually arrives at the now-married undergraduates home, leaving the couple to question whether this tale is a grand truth or an elaborate hoax. Determined to uncover the reality, they set off to find Aleriel in the Swiss mountains. A contemporary of literary giants such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, this visionary 1883 novel by Polish-English curate and historian Wladislav Lach-Szyrma promises to entertain, enlighten, and intrigue every listener. Nigel C.