Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction

Have you ever wondered if there was something other than molten lava in the center of
the earth? Have you ever thought of what lies at the bottom of the ocean? These questions may
not be challenging for someone today to answer, but to a man who lived in the 19th century, they
were bewildering. Throughout his career as an author, Jules Verne wrote many books about feats
that people of the time never would have thought of actually happening, such as flying to space.
Looking back on his works today, it is quite amazing to see what he predicted. Jules Verne was a
notorious author whose many works have dubbed him with the name the father of science
fiction. His childhood played a critical role in the formation of his career as an author.
Jules Gabriel Verne was born on February 8th, 1828 in Nantes, France. He was the first
child to be born of Sophie and Pierre Verne, an attorney who had four more children following
the birth of Jules (Jules Verne). As a boy living in a port city, Verne closely observed the ships
that came and went (Jules Verne). This sparked his imagination for adventure and travel. Verne
also grew rather fond of literature at a young age, but his father wanted him to follow in his
footsteps and become an attorney (Arthur B. Evans). As a result, Verne was sent to Paris, France
to study law. While he was in Paris, Verne secretly planned a literary career which in 1850
resulted in his first play called Broken Straws (Jules Verne Biography). This play was had
some success and Verne continued to work as secretary of a Parisian theater while still
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pursuing a career in writing. In the years that followed, he wrote comedies and operettas and
began contributing short stories to a popular magazine, Le Muse des familles (Jules Verne
Biography). In 1857, Verne quit his job at the theater and married Honorine de Viane Morel.

She was a widow who already had two daughters, but their son, Michel Jean Verne, was soon
added to the family (Jules Verne). Around this time, Verne worked as a stockbroker at the Paris
Stock Market. Nonetheless, Verne kept true to writing and dreamt of a novel that would combine
science fact with adventure fiction (Evans). Many of his first works were rejected by publishers:
Vernes literary career was launched after he became acquainted with publisher Pierre Jules
Hetzel (Jules Verne). Verne did not know, but by meeting with Hetzel, he would become a
renowned author.
In 1863, Vernes first novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon, was published. The book was an
immediate success [so Verne] decided to retire from stockbroking and devote himself full time to
writing (Jules Verne Biography). Hetzel was very pleased with Vernes first work and saw
potential in him. As a result, Hetzel offered Verne a long-term contract to produce many more
works of science fiction (Evans). Verne was motivated by this accomplishment and he was
driven to write more. Between the years of 1863 and 1886, Verne churned out many successful
science adventure novels (Evans). A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, published in 1864,
followed the journey of a scientist under the earths crust and his encounter with an underground
world. From the Earth to the Moon (1865) and its sequel, Round the Moon (1870), contained
stunning predictions of future technology: He was able to not only [picture] the state of
weightlessness his "astronauts" experienced during their flight, but also he had the vision to
locate their launching site in Florida, where nearly all of the National Aeronautics and Space
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Administration's (NASA) space launches take place today (Jules Verne Biography). Other
popular works included 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Around the World in 80 Days
(1875) (Jules Verne Biography). These works brought him fame because of their originality.

Authors had never before combined science with fiction. Not many people had read books like
this before, so they caught their attention. With the wealth he received from the many successful
books he wrote, Verne and his family took a trip to visit New York and Niagara Falls. Verne also
purchased several yachts which he used to take many adventures to numerous European
countries (Evans). At this point in time, Verne seemed to have a respectable career, but in 1886,
Verne would encounter an incident that would change his life forever.
The end of Vernes career all began with a tragic shooting accident. Verne was shot by his
nephew who had a mental disability. This event resulted in Verne being left with disabilities of
his own. These disabilities affected his whole life. Verne later wrote a letter in which he stated, I
cant stand fun anymore. My character has changed beyond recognition, and Ill never get over
what Ive been through (William Butcher xxvii). This quote truly encompasses what this event
did to his life. He went from being a successful author to being a cripple. He continued to write,
but the novels were not the same as before. His writing style changed too: Increasingly Verne
turned away from pro-science tales of exploration and discovery in favor of exploring the
dangers of technology wrought by hubris-filled scientists (Evans). Upon his death in 1905,
Verne left many unfinished manuscripts. His son, Michel, tried to revamp the works and publish
them, but for the most part, he practically rewrote the stories (Evans). Verne may have left the
world with a lot of unfinished business, but this had no impact on the mans legacy.

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Throughout his life, Jules Verne was faced with many obstacles. His father did not
support his hopes of becoming a writer. His first few novels were rejected by publishers. He was

shot by his own nephew. Despite these setbacks, he had a very successful career that continues to
make an impact on the world today. For example, Verne is credited with [predicting] the use of
hydrogen as an energy source as well as future technologies such as submarines, airplanes,
helicopters, and skyscrapers (Jules Verne). His works accumulated effect on humanity is
immeasurable. Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, or Hercule Poirot may at any moment outperform
Phileas Fogg or Captain Nemo, [characters in two of Vernes works]. Prince Hamlet or Don
Quixote get longer entries in Britannica. But over time Verne has outsold Shakespeare and
indeed everyone (Butcher xxxi). Verne may not be the most popular author, but his works have
sold more copies than authors who are thought to be more famous than him. Verne definitely
deserves the title father of science fiction. He was the one of the first to combine science with
literature in a highly effective way. A few of his works have also been made into major motion
pictures, most recently, A Journey to the Center of the Earth. Even though Verne may have lost
his true dignity towards the end of his career and life, he should not be lost in the array of great
authors who have come before and after him.

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Works Cited

Butcher, William. Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography. New York: Thunder's Mouth Press,
2006. Print.

Evans, Arthur B. Jules Verne. britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016. 18 Jan. 2016
Jules Verne. famousauthors.org. FamousAuthors.org. Web. 18 Jan. 2016.
Jules Verne Biography. notablebiographies.com. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 18
Jan. 2016.