Editing One Thousand and One Nights (section)

==== Fantasy and science fiction ====
[[File:More tales from the Arabian nights-14566176968.jpg|thumb|An illustration of the ''story of Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Paribanou'', ''More tales from the Arabian nights'' by Willy Pogany (1915)]]

Several stories within the ''One Thousand and One Nights'' feature early [[science fiction]] elements. One example is "The Adventures of Bulukiya", in which the [[protagonist]] Bulukiya's quest for the [[Elixir of life|herb of immortality]] leads him to explore the seas, journey to [[Paradise]] and to [[Hell]], and travel across the [[cosmos]] to different worlds much larger than his own world, anticipating elements of [[Galaxy|galactic]] science fiction;{{sfn|Irwin|2004|p=209}} along the way, he encounters societies of [[jinn]],{{sfn|Irwin|2004|p=204}} [[mermaid]]s, talking [[Serpent (symbolism)|serpents]], talking trees, and other forms of life.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|p=209}} In "[[Abu al-Husn and His Slave-Girl Tawaddud]]", the heroine Tawaddud gives an impromptu [[lecture]] on the mansions of the [[Moon]], and the benevolent and sinister aspects of the planets.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|p=190}}

In another ''1001 Nights'' tale, "Abdullah the Fisherman and Abdullah the Merman", the protagonist Abdullah the Fisherman gains the ability to breathe underwater and discovers an underwater society that is portrayed as an inverted reflection of society on land, in that the underwater society follows a form of [[primitive communism]] where concepts like money and clothing do not exist. Other ''Arabian Nights'' tales also depict [[Amazons|Amazon]] societies dominated by women, lost ancient technologies, advanced ancient civilizations that went astray, and catastrophes which overwhelmed them.{{sfn|Irwin|2004|pp=211–212}}

"The City of Brass" features a group of travellers on an [[archaeological]] expedition<ref name="Hamori 1971 p.9" /> across the [[Sahara]] to find an ancient lost city and attempt to recover a brass vessel that [[Solomon]] once used to trap a [[jinni]],{{sfn|Pinault|1992|pp=148–149, 217–219}} and, along the way, encounter a [[mummified]] queen, [[petrified]] inhabitants,{{sfn|Irwin|2004|p=213}} lifelike [[humanoid robot]]s and [[automata]], seductive [[marionette]]s dancing without strings,<ref name="Hamori 1971 pp.12–13" /> and a brass horseman [[robot]] who directs the party towards the ancient city,{{sfn|Pinault|1992|pp=10–11}} which has now become a [[ghost town]].<ref name=Hamori/> The "Third Qalandar's Tale" also features a robot in the form of an uncanny [[Sailor|boatman]].{{sfn|Pinault|1992|pp=10–11}}