Jules Verne: The Extraordinary Explorer

This February we celebrate what would have been the 197th birthday of French writer, Jules Verne. As one of the most prolific writers of the 18th century, Verne achieved massive success as an author, playwright, and poet. Though he passed away in 1905, Verne’s work lives on.

Since 1979, he has been the second-most translated writer in the world, second only to Agatha Christie. With over 65 books to his name and a unique gift for several modes of writing, there is something for everyone to enjoy within Verne’s body of work.

Verne’s Early Life

From an early age, Verne was destined for a life of storytelling and adventures. During his time at a French boarding school, Verne found inspiration in the stories of Robinson Crusoe, read to him by his teacher there.

She was the widowed wife of a French naval officer who was lost at sea and often turned her sorrows into stories for her students. Inspired by her tales, Verne secretly obtained a job as a cabin boy when he was 11. The ship was bound for the West Indies, but he was caught by his father during an early stop in France. He promised his father that from then on he would “only travel in his mind.”

Verne went on to attend law school in Paris, with encouragement from his parents. He graduated in 1847, but by 1849 he was writing his first plays and novellas. He abandoned his law profession and followed his literary passions instead.

First Works

During his early days of writing, Verne frequented French salons, where he met powerful society families. There he befriended Alexandre Dumas, another playwright with family connections. With the help of Dumas, Verne produced his first play, Les Pailles rompues (The Broken Straws), in 1850.

During this time, Verne also frequently wrote geographical and historical pieces for the magazine Musée des familles (The Family Museum.) These articles were his earliest inspiration and trials for what would come later — dozens of novels of travel and adventure.

Partnership with Hetzel

In 1862, Verne was introduced to Pierre-Jules Hetzel, a famed French publisher who worked with other greats such as Balzac, Victor Hugo, and George Sand.

Hetzel agreed to publish three volumes of Verne’s work a year, to first be published in his magazine, Magasin d’Éducation et de Récréation (Magazine of Education and Recreation,) before later being turned into books. As history goes, this gave way to Verne’s most famous collection of works, Voyages Extraordinaires (Extraordinary Voyages or Extraordinary Journeys.)

Father of Science Fiction

Voyages Extraordinaires contains popular stories like Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864,) From the Earth to the Moon (1865,) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1869,) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1872,) which made Verne very popular and very wealthy.

These daring stories of adventure and scientific exploration were the first of their kind and have earned him the title of “The Father of Science Fiction” for the genre tone-setting they achieved.

Legacy

Many great minds in science have credited Verne with inspiring their careers. American astronomer Edwin Hubble credits Verne’s works for his fascination with science and stated that he was the inspiration for Hubble’s exit from law to study astronomy and space exploration.

Today Verne’s works live on for new readers and dreamers. Many of his novels have gone on to be turned into films or served as the inspiration for new stories, some by entertainment greats like Disney, NBC, and Hallmark.

Other authors within the science-fiction genre have cited Verne as inspiration, including genre-greats like Ray Bradbury and Arthur C. Clarke.

Whether through books or films, Verne’s stories live on even in 2025 and have been the entertainment and enjoyment of young minds for generations.