Short answers, pulled from the story.
Lucian of Samosata was born in the town of Samosata on the banks of the Euphrates around 125 AD. This city sat on the far eastern outskirts of the Roman Empire and had been the capital of Commagene until Vespasian annexed it in 72 AD.
Lucian declared his proudest literary achievement to be the invention of the satirical dialogue genre. His Dialogues of the Dead centers on the Cynic philosophers Diogenes and Menippus who live comfortably in the Underworld while those who lived luxuriously suffer there.
The book ends abruptly promising future adventures in sequels which never arrived. Inside the creature they discover fish people whom they wage war against before killing the beast with a bonfire.
Alexander of Abonoteichus was a charlatan who claimed to be the prophet of the serpent-god Glycon. When Alexander invited him to kiss his hand, Lucian bit it instead.
Desiderius Erasmus published Encomium Moriae in 1509 displaying clear Lucianic influences. Thomas More published Utopia in 1516 inspired by A True Story while Jonathan Swift released Gulliver's Travels in 1726 following the same pattern.