Keith Williams, Reader in English, and Ari Brin, PhD researcher, discuss the life and legacy of pioneering science fiction writer Robert Duncan Milne in a new podcast, part of Ayesha Khan’s award-winning Every Single Sci-Fi Film Ever* series.
Milne who was born in Cupar, Fife, in 1844 emigrated to San Francisco where he published many short stories in newspapers and magazines. Keith and Ari discuss his significance as a pioneer, despite his work lapsing into obscurity after his death in 1899. Milne’s stories introduced many science fiction themes that appeared in later literature including time travel, teleportation, drone warfare, molecular reengineering, alien life forms and rejuvenation. His prescient literature can be said to bridge the gap between Jules Verne and H G Wells.
Keith argues that Milne’s eye witness documentary style is reminiscent of the The Great Moon Hoax of 1835, the greatest newspaper hoax of the 19th century, where New York’s newspaper The Sun reported on the discovery of life on the moon. He discusses how this creates a precedent for the documentary plausibility of science fiction which was later reflected in Milne’s writing.
Williams and Brin have a collected anthology of Milne’s work coming out in 2025 The Essential Robert Duncan Milne: Stories by the Lost Pioneer of Science Fiction: Robert Duncan Milne: Bloomsbury Academic.
Intrigued? Read more about Milne in this blog by Keith. Click on the first image above to watch the interview with Ayesha.