Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg

Who was Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg?

Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg was an Argentine natural historian and novelist, one of the leading figures in Argentine biology. Together with Florentino Ameghino he undertook the inventory of Argentine flora and fauna, and explored all the ecoregions in the country. As director of the Buenos Aires Zoological Garden he greatly developed its scientific aspect, publishing booklets and providing printed media for a learned appreciation of its contents. He also directed the Natural History Cabinet of the University of Buenos Aires and published the standard reference works on botany and zoology used in his country for most of the 20th century. While less distinguished for his writing, he was arguably the first science fiction writer in Latin America. He wrote the first science fiction novel, "Viaje maravilloso del señor Nic-Nac al planeta Marte." In 1879, he wrote "Horacio Kalibang o los autómatas," the first short science fiction story of Latin America.