Jules Verne

Author:
Jules Verne

Date of birth: 08-Feb-1828
Place of birth: Nantes, France

About the author:
Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a pioneering French author widely regarded as one of the fathers of science fiction. His adventurous and visionary novels explored space, the depths of the ocean, and the limits of human innovation, blending imaginative storytelling with scientific and geographical accuracy.

Born on February 8, 1828, in Nantes, France, Verne came from a middle-class family and was originally expected to follow in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer. However, he soon developed a passion for literature and science, and he turned to writing instead, producing plays and short stories before finding his voice as a novelist.

Verne achieved fame with the publication of Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863), the first in a series of adventure novels collectively known as Voyages Extraordinaires, which included some of his most famous works. Among these are:

•Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864)
•20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870)
•Around the World in Eighty Days (1873)
•From the Earth to the Moon (1865)

Verne’s work combined thrilling plots with cutting-edge (for his time) scientific concepts, including space travel, underwater exploration, and advanced machinery—long before many of these became realities. He conducted meticulous research to give his fantastical tales a sense of credibility and grounding.
His novels were immensely popular in his lifetime and continue to influence science fiction and adventure writing to this day. Though Verne himself considered his work to be educational and entertaining, he is now recognised as a visionary whose ideas anticipated modern inventions such as submarines, space shuttles, and more.

Jules Verne died on March 24, 1905, in Amiens, France, but his legacy endures. His works have been translated into over 140 languages, adapted into countless films, and continue to inspire readers, scientists, and explorers alike.