Scotchman John Munro was born in Ross-shire in 1849. He received his education at the Bristol Trade and Mining School, where he later held the position of lecturer. Later, he was hired by Bristol University to teach mechanical and mining engineering. He produced two books and a number of works on electricity. He stopped teaching in 1919 and passed away in 1930. The first chapter of A Message from Mars, and A Trip to Venus were both included in Brian Aldiss and Harry Harrison's Farewell Fantastic Venus. Other historical and reference works by Munro include A Pocket-book of Electrical Rules and Tables for the Use of Engineers and Electricians (1891), Heroes of the Telegraph, and others (1884). The majority of Munro's works are in the public domain because they were first published before 1925. The Wire and the Wave, Pioneers of Electricity, Heroes of the Telegraph, Sun-Rise in the Moon, in the October edition of Cassell's Magazine in 1894, and The Story of Electricity, in 1902 are among the works of John Munro.