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Distant places have always exerted a particular fascination on the human mind. Many classics of European literature feature journeys to foreign lands, whether real or imaginary: from More's Utopia and Ariosto's Moon, to Bacon's New Atlantis and Swift's Lilliput. Through a range of examples from early modern France, we will explore the complex relationship between travel and the literary imagination. Topics to discuss include: the style, status, and models of travel literature; cultural encounter, Otherness, and self-representation; imaginary places and social critique. Readings will include fictional texts like Cyrano's Estats et empires de la Lune, genuine travel reports such as Champlain's Voyage au Canada, and works that skilfully mix fiction and reality, as in Montesquieu's Lettres persanes.