Jules Verne

Jules Verne, a pioneering French author widely regarded as one of the progenitors of science fiction, profoundly influenced the genre's development through his meticulous integration of scientific detail and captivating adventure narratives, establishing enduring thematic and stylistic paradigms that have resonated throughout the genre for over a century and a half.

Born in Nantes, France, Verne’s first declaration of independence was an unsuccessful attempt to switch places with a ship's cabin-boy. The sea subsequently appeared in many of his best works. As a young man, Verne studied in Paris where he was influenced by such writers as Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas. After discovering the work of Edgar Allen Poe, Verne published his first science fiction tale, A Voyage in a Balloon, in 1851.

Verne went on to create Five Weeks in a Balloon, which kicked off a long series of Extraordinary Journeys, mixing quasi-scientific theory with adventure and the romance of travel. These included such popular classics as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870), its sequel The Mysterious Island (1874), and perhaps his best-known work, Around the World in Eighty Days (1874). Verne’s works have been adapted to film for over 100 years, beginning with Georges Méliès’ A Trip to the Moon in 1902, one of the first science fiction films.