To Mars via the Moon: An Astronomical Story

"To Mars via the Moon: An Astronomical Story" by Mark Wicks is an early 20th-century science fiction story where Wilfrid Poynders, John Claxton, and Kenneth M'Allister build a ship called the "Areonal" to travel through space to Mars, stopping at the Moon on the way. The story is a mix of imagination and science, showing the excitement about space travel at the time, as the characters build their airship, they get ready for their journey. The detailed writing about their airship shows the strong interest in space travel during that time. As they fly up toward space, the characters think about what they've done together and why they're going to Mars, preparing for what they will find in space.