Victor Anestin

Victor Anestin (September 17 1875 - November 5 1918) was a Romanian journalist, science popularizer, astronomer and science fiction writer.

Biography

Born in Bacău, Victor Anestin was the son of actor Ion Anestin. He graduated high school in Craiova and went on to work for some measly wages as proof reader for various Bucharest newspapers. [Manolescu, p.218]

As an astronomer, he made a few original obesrvations over planet Venus and published several articles in foreign journals such as "Nature", "Monthly Register" and "L'Astronomie". [Manolescu, p.218]

Between 1907 and 1912, he published the first Romanian astronomical journal, "Orion" and in 1908, he was the founder of the "Societatea astronomică română "Camille Flammarion". In 1912, Anestin became the director of the "Ziarul Călătoriilor", which he renamed in "Ziarul ştiinţelor populare" ("Journal of Popular Sciences") and its circulation rose to 15,000. Together with C. I. Istrati, he founded "Universitatea Populară din Bucureşti" in 1912 and at the end of the year 1913, he founded the "Prietenii Ṣtiinţei" association. [Manolescu, p.219]

Legacy

Anestin wrote three science fiction novels and a large number of articles and over a hundred booklets about science. [Manolescu, p.219]

In his novel "A Celestial Tragedy" (published in February 1914), Anestin has one of the earliest descriptions of the possibility of using the atomic power for war purposes, being published in the same year as H. G. Wells' "The World Set Free".Ion Hobana, [http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/ntc/NTC3.pdf "Nuclear War Fiction in Eastern Europe"] , in "Nuclear Texts and Contexts", Fall 1989]

The astronomical observatory of Bacău bears his name. [ [http://www.cimec.ro/scripts/muzee/iden.asp?k=100 "V. Anestin" Astronomical Observatory] , cimec.ro]

cience fiction novels

* "În anul 4000 sau O călătorie la Venus" (In the year 4000, or A trip to Venus, 1899)
* "O tragedie cerească, Poveste astronomică" (A Celestial Tragedy, An Astronomical Story, 1914)
* "Puterea ştiinţei, sau Cum a fost omorât Răsboiul European, Poveste fantastică" (The Power of Science, or How was the European War Killed, Fantasy Story, 1916)

Notes

References

*Florin Manolescu, "Literatura S.F.", Editura Univers, Bucharest, 1980