Jules Verne: Father of science fiction

Jules Verne was one of the biggest writers when it comes to adventures and science fiction, and he left a huge mark on the entire world. Even today, his stories remain popular.

Who is Jules Verne?

Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author and he was born in 1828 in Nantes. One of the most popular series of all time was a product of collaboration with Pierre-Jules Hetzel, and it is the Voyages extraordinaires.

Verne spent some time in Paris after boarding school, and he had an opportunity to meet many famous people, including Alexandre Dumas. He was also inspired by the works of Victor Hugo.

Over the years, Jules Verne became the second-most translated author of all time (between Agatha Christie and Shakespeare), and he is popular across the globe. Additionally, many people name him the father of science fiction since he was one of the pioneers of the genre in the 19th century.

He was married to Honorine Anne Hébée du Fraysne de Viane. Jules Verne died in 1905 in Amiens, France. What is interesting is that there are still many that believe that Verne was a time traveler based on his books. He talked about skyscrapers, cars, and much more.

Genre of writing

Jules Verne experimented with different genres, and he even wrote a couple of non-fiction stories. But many people would say that his most recognizable work is in the adventure genre. Furthermore, he was one of the first writers to start exploring the realm of science fiction.

Additionally, Verne was an amateur scientist and astronomer. He enjoyed playing with similar ideas in his novels, and they served as an inspiration for so many people worldwide.

Publishings

Over the years, Jules Verne published numerous novels, short stories, non-fiction books, essays, and plays. You can make two categories of his writings. Those that were published while Verne was alive, and those that came out posthumously (such as The Lighthouse at the End of the World, which came out at the beginning of the twentieth century).

Voyages extraordinaires

The Voyages extraordinaires is a collection of Jules Verne’s novels and short stories. It is also a collection of the most recognizable stories he wrote. There are a total of fifty-four novels that were published between 1863 and 1905.

Those that came after Verne died are often altered and in some cases, completely written by his son Michel Verne. Moreover, the stories were also published in Hetzel’s magazine Magasin d’Éducation et de récréation or Magazine of Education and Recreation.

The most popular stories from the voyages extraordinaires are Journey to the Center of the Earth (Voyage au centre de la Terre), Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (Vingt mille lieues sous les mers), and Around the World in Eighty Days (Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours). Each of these books received numerous adaptations, and they became instant hits.

Other stories include In Search of the Castaways, Master of the World, Robur the Conqueror, Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen, Michael Strogoff, The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa, and many others.

Inspired by Verne’s book Around the World in Eighty Days, many people decided to try visiting all the locations in eighty days. These locations included New York, London, Paris, Bombay, Singapore, and many others. The first one to achieve it was Nellie Bly in 1889, and she managed to complete the journey in seventy-two days.

Bestsellers

Throughout his career, Jules Verne published numerous books, and each of them was translated into countless languages, including English. If you are interested in checking some of his work, you should start with the best novels he wrote.

Some of his best work includes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, From the Earth to the Moon, Five Weeks in a Balloon, Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mysterious Island, An Antarctic Mystery, The Purchase of the North Pole, etc.

The books cover topics that seemed impossible at the time, including a journey to the moon (De la Terre à la Lune), the center of the Earth, deep under the sea, and so on. Naturally, everyone knows incredible stories about Captain Nemo, Phileas Fogg, and Nautilus. But this is just the beginning.

Ways to enjoy Verne’s stories

If you love adventure novels with elements of science fiction, Jules Verne is one of the writers you need to check out, and you should know that there are different ways to explore his stories.

Physical copy

The first option is to buy the book you want to read. This is great for anyone that owns a library and that enjoys collecting books. Naturally, if you want to go through Verne’s entire bibliography, it will take up a lot of shelf space.

Instead, you can visit your local library and borrow the book. This is a cheaper option, and you won’t need to worry about buying another shelf just for Jules Verne’s works.

Speechify

If you are interested in exploring books in a whole new way and having your entire library in digital form, the answer is Speechify. This is an excellent platform for listening to audiobooks, and it will work on any device.

Speechify is a leading audiobook service with more than 70,000 titles, including Jules Verne favorites such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days, all of which feature multiple audiobook versions, with different narrators from which to choose.

Sign up for Speechify Audiobooks and experience Jules Verne’s work like you never have before. Plus, when you try the service today, you will receive your first premium audiobook for free.

FAQ

What was Jules Verne famous for?

Jules Verne wrote many stories that people love. These include Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days, Around the Moon, and many others.

Is Jules Verne a good read?

Yes. If you love adventures and sci-fi stories, Jules Verne is a writer you need to check out. He is often called the father of science fiction, and he had a huge impact on the entire planet.

It is worth mentioning that the title of “father of science fiction” was also given to H.G. Wells.

Who was the illustrator of “Jules Verne”?

Édouard Riou was a famous illustrator who started working with Jules Verne in 1865, and he illustrated six books. These books are Five Weeks in a Balloon, The Adventures of Captain Hatteras, Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Children of Captain Grant, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and The Survivors of the Chancellor.