author
John Mastin
1865–1932
A curious early-20th-century writer who mixed scientific wonder with adventure, he wrote imaginative journeys through space while also explaining science for general readers. His work sits at an interesting crossroads of popular science, speculative fiction, and Victorian-to-Edwardian curiosity.
2 Audiobooks
The chemistry, properties and tests of precious stones
by John Mastin
Through the sun in an airship
by John Mastin
About the author
John Mastin (1865–1932) was a British author, clergyman, and popularizer of science. Reference sources on early science fiction credit him with three scientific romances, and surviving editions of his books show how comfortably he moved between fiction and explanatory science writing.
His best-known imaginative works include The Stolen Planet and Through the Sun in an Airship, novels that turn big scientific ideas into adventurous journeys. He also wrote nonfiction, including The Chemistry, Properties and Tests of Precious Stones, and revised The Boy's Playbook of Science, which suggests a writer interested in making technical subjects lively and readable for a broad audience.
Taken together, Mastin's books show an energetic mind drawn to astronomy, experiment, and discovery. Even now, his writing offers a glimpse of a period when science felt full of possibility and storytelling was one of the best ways to share that excitement.