Byomjatrir Diary
"Byomjatrir Diary" (Bengali: ব্যোমযাত্রীর ডায়রি, The Space Traveler’s Diary) is the first story of the Professor Shonku series created by Indian writer and filmmaker Satyajit Ray. It was first published in Sandesh, edited by Ray himself, in 1961. Ray included this story in his first collection of Shonku stories, Professor Shonku, in 1965. The story follows Professor Trilokeshwar Shonku, a Bengali scientist and inventor, who travelled to Mars and after being attacked by the Martians, fled to a planet named Tafa, where the inhabitants welcomed him and made him a citizen of their planet.
| "Byomjatrir Diary" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Short story by Satyajit Ray | |||
| Original title | ব্যোমযাত্রীর ডায়রি | ||
| Country | India | ||
| Language | Bengali | ||
| Genre(s) | Science fiction short story | ||
| Publication | |||
| Published in | Sandesh/ Professor Shonku | ||
| Publication type | Print (Magazine/short story collection) | ||
| Publisher | New Script, Calcutta (1965) Ananda Publishers, Calcutta (1967) | ||
| Media type | Print (Hardback) | ||
| Published in English | 1961/1965 | ||
| Chronology | |||
| Series | Professor Shonku | ||
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In "Byomjatrir Diary", 11 of Professor Shonku's 1093 fictional inventions are mentioned. Most notable of these inventions are a rocket to Mars, Bidhushekhar the Robot and a pill called Botika Indica. Originally the story was not written as a part of the series as Ray did not have any intention to write a sequel of it. The next story of the series was published three years later.