John Munro

Born in 1849 and associated closely with Bristol, John Munro was a British mechanical engineer, teacher, and writer. He served for many years on the teaching staff in Bristol and became a professor of mechanical engineering, building a career that joined technical expertise with a gift for explaining new ideas to general readers.

Alongside his engineering work, he wrote fiction and nonfiction. His best-known imaginative works include Sun-Rise in the Moon, A Message from Mars, and A Trip to Venus—stories that helped give late-Victorian readers a taste of scientific romance. He also wrote popular books on electricity and communication, including Heroes of the Telegraph and The Story of Electricity.

Munro died on December 19, 1930, in Bishopston, Bristol. Today he is remembered both as an educator and as one of those writers who brought the excitement of science to a wide audience, whether through practical explanation or adventurous storytelling.