This is Poe's account of an alleged balloon trip to the moon, in the spirit of the then infamous moon hoax. The balloon rider describes the Earth as appearing concave when 5 miles up. Later, a highly detailed geometric explanation of this illusion is given.

I love Poe, really and truly, but I would steer casual readers elsewhere. This short story, with its dense and dry narrative, is a painful reading experience in the extreme.

While this tale certainly starts slowly with a detailed description of the balloon and its predecessors, the pace picks up with the journal of the actual flight. When the reader bares in mind that this story was written in 1850 its remarkable nature becomes clear. The most interesting aspect of this work is found in comparing the anticipated future of aeronautic progress with what has actually transpired. This was certainly a daring work in its day and Poe's enthusiasm for science makes this story still worth reading.