Kepler's somnium cover

Kepler's somnium

by Johannes Kepler

One of the most important books in the history of science, Kepler's long-overlooked Somnium made a significant contribution to the study of astronomy. Its unique twofold nature--combining a serious scientific treatise on lunar astronomy with a fictional narrative about a trip to the moon--puzzled seventeenth-century readers as well as succeeding generations, and the work lapsed into obscurity. This excellent English translation of the Somnium (originally written in Latin) offers plentiful notes to assist in following Kepler's thought, along with an introduction that traces the work's history and significance. This edition reconstructs the Somnium's checkered history in complete and fascinating detail, with scholarly commentary and extensive appendixes.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?