Today marks the 185th birthday of Jules Verne who is regarded as one of the fathers of science fiction. Verne opened everyone’s eyes to brand new adventures with timeless classics like AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH. He created elements of technology in his stories which were not even thought of at the time and which later became reality. Most of his works have been adapted into feature and animated films and he is the second most translated author in the world.
Though he was spent to some of the best schools in France, Verne constantly ignored his studies for his fiction writing. While studying law at university, Verne focused more on his budding career as an author than his school work and as a result, his father cut him off financially. Verne then obtained a job as a stockbroker and continued to write until finally gaining commercial fame with the help of a renowned editor.
DID YOU KNOW?
- Verne was always a writer, but he initially began by writing libretti (lyrics) for operas.
- Though he wrote about a book a year for 40 years on a variety of subjects and places, Verne was not well-traveled at all and wrote all his books purely from his imagination and by reading other books.
- He imagined the submarine The Nautilus in 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA 25 years before it was actually invented. In 1886 when the first electric submarine was invented, it was named The Nautilus in honour of Verne’s creation.
- Verne was well acquainted with famed French writers Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas, both of whom provided Verne with advice on his writing.