
author
Best known for an early interplanetary adventure, this little-known writer also had a practical side, producing a detailed guide for amateur organ builders. His surviving work mixes curiosity, craftsmanship, and a distinctly hands-on imagination.

by Mark Wicks
Mark Wicks was a British author remembered today mainly for To Mars via the Moon (1911), an early science-fiction novel described by The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction as a scientific romance. The same source notes that very little is known about him, which is why biographies of Wicks are usually brief.
His known books show an unusual range. Alongside his fiction, he wrote Organ Building for Amateurs, a practical manual for home workers that reflects strong technical interests and a maker's mindset. That combination helps explain the appeal of To Mars via the Moon, which brings together imagination and an evident enthusiasm for scientific ideas.
Because reliable biographical records are scarce, it is safest to view Wicks as a somewhat obscure early 20th-century writer whose reputation rests on a small body of work rather than a well-documented public life. Even so, his books still attract readers interested in vintage speculative fiction and hands-on craft writing.