One Thousand and One Nights (<10th Century)
Given that Scheherazade had to tell more than a thousand stories to the Sultan to keep from being executed, it makes sense some of these Arabian folk tales would contain some science fiction elements, no? Robots (well, puppets that dance without strings), different planets, an underwater city, a lesson on lunar real estate, ancient civilizations with ancient technology, and more grace a variety of smattering of stories, from “The City of Brass” to “Abu al-Husn and His Slave Girl Tawaddud.”
