FREE ESSAY ON JULES VERNE: THE FATHER OF SCIENCE FICTION

JULES VERNE: THE FATHER OF SCIENCE FICTION

Jules Verne: The Father of Science Fiction
The father of Science Fiction, a visionary French novelist, a short story writer, and a
dramatist. This is the essence of the man we know today as Jules Verne. In his voluminous
writings he foresaw a number of scientific devices and developments that were more than a
century ahead of his time. Some of the inventions he imagined were created later in his
lifetime, but some are still to be invented. He wrote over 80 books mostly before 1900
and a few of the things he described were helicopters, modern weapons, movies with sound,
television and rockets. He was also the author of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, which was
written in the 1800's - years before the first sub was invented. Jules Verne was an
amazing writer who predicted the science future of the world. He was popular with all
kinds of readers: rich, poor, young, old, scientists, artists and rulers. 
Jules Verne came into Nantes, France on February 8, 1828. As a son of a magistrate he was
a very ambitious child who was always eager to learn and be knowledgeable. His parents
were also very interested in traveling and going on safaris to new and undiscovered lands
("Verne", Microsoft Encarta). This was thought to have a big influence on his later
writings. When he was six years old he began attending boarding school and when he was
nine he moved on to St. Stanislas, a secondary school, with younger brother, Paul
("Verne", Something about the Author). When he was very young he ran off to be a cabin
boy on a merchant ship, but he was caught and returned to his parents (Jules Verne
Encyclopedia Britannica). In 1847 Jules was sent to study law in Paris. While there,
however, his passion for theatre grew. Later in 1850, Jules Verne's first play was
published. 
He then dropped out of Law School and began to explore the field of theatre and writing
more intensely. However, his father was outraged when he heard that Jules was not going
to continue law, so he discontinued the money he was giving him to pay for his expenses
in Paris. This forced Verne to make money by selling his stories (Something About the
Author, 190). 
After spending many hours in Paris libraries studying geology, engineering, and
astronomy, Jules Verne published his first novel Five Weeks in a Balloon. Soon he started
writing many more novels. Some of his more famous novels are Five Weeks in a Balloon, A
Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues
Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, Mysterious Island, and Master of the
World(Academic American Encyclopedia, 559). A few of his novels have been turned into
movies, like Disney's 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Because of the popularity of these
and other novels, Jules Verne became a very rich man. In 1876, he bought a large yacht
and sailed around Europe. The last novel before Jules Verne's death was The Invasion of
the Sea (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 400). Jules Verne died on March 24, 1905 and the whole
world mourned. He was the founder of modern science fiction and the creator of many
imaginary inventions that became reality. He inspired scientists, explorers and
builders.
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bracy, William. Verne, Jules. Encyclopedia Americana. Encyclopedia Britannica, Chicago.
1989. 28:36
Stableford, Brian. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Survey of Science Fiction
Literature. Ed.
Frank N. Magili. Salem Press, New Jersey. 1979. 5:2329-2333
Verne, Jules. Academic American Encyclopedia. Colombia University Press, New York. 1989.
19:559
Verne, Jules. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Macropaedia. 15th ed. 1983. 5:400-401
Verne, Jules. Something About the Author. Ed. Anne Commire. Washington Square Press, Inc:
New York 
City, New York. 1980. 21:178-193
Verne, Jules. Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. Gale Research Company, Michigan.
1982. 6:489, 498