The planet in an unfinished novel
The idea of a distant but highly advanced civilisation has captured the imagination of people for centuries. Perhaps the most (17) ________ of these tales is the story of the forgotten planet of Astra, which (18) ________ with the British novelist Ward, over 100 years ago. Ward wrote of a planet located beyond the solar system, the home of a peaceful and technically gifted alien people. Over time, however, the people became corrupted. According to the novel, when their leaders saw this, they decided to abandon the planet and Astra vanished beyond the stars. These (19) ________ by Ward are the only known mention of Astra, and the very idea of Astra has remained (20) ________ among romantics and scholars. Today, people still (21) ________ about Astra and its possible (22) ________, and it has been the subject of many books and movies. There is a (23) ________ endless fascination for the planet. Maybe we all want this (24) ________ place to be real.