The literary representation of science in «El anacronópete»

Abstract

El anacronópete (1887) by Gaspar y Rimbau, the first known novel that deals with time travel with a machine, is a controversial work for literary theory as it stands on the blurry boundary between science fiction and fantasy. This essay analyses whether the scientific explanations of events that the novel contains are linked to the state of the Spanish sciences (Biology, Geology, Physics and Chemistry) in the 19th century, thus providing it with verisimilitude. A review of both the history of science and literary criticism is carried out to conclude that, despite its controversial ending, this novel has all the characteristics of science fiction works and is also a pioneer.