Modern recreations (such as on MythBusters ) suggest the rocket chair would have likely exploded, but the tale remains a powerful symbol of early human curiosity. If you’d like to build on this story, I can help you: Write a detailed technical description of his "spaceship."

Imagine a where Wan Hu actually survives on the moon.

"When I give the signal," Wan Hu commanded, "light the fuses simultaneously."

The servants hesitated, looking at the mountain of gunpowder beneath their master. But Wan Hu’s gaze was fixed upward. He raised his hand. The torches descended.

Create a between Wan Hu and a skeptical emperor.

First appeared in 20th-century Western literature, later becoming a popular myth.