Jules Verne

The discovery of a falling golden meteor and the race to find it form the core of this exciting tale from the master of science fiction, Jules Verne. An asteroid wanders into the earth's gravitational field and is spotted by two rival Virginia astronomers. The discovery becomes a worldwide sensation when it is announced that the asteroid is solid gold and is plummeting toward earth. The approaching disaster is brought on by the machinations of the brilliant but absent-minded French scientist and inventor Zephyrin Xirdal. Xirdal has invented a ray with which he pulls the golden asteroid from orbit and hopes to guide it to crash at a spot of his choosing. Xirdal, the two Virginia astronomers and their families, and representatives from many nations race to find and claim the golden meteor. The Chase of the Golden Meteor is vintage Verne, artfully blending hard science and scientific speculation with a farcical comedy of manners. This unabridged edition will be sure to delight Verne's legion of fans and attract new ones.

In 1863 Jules Verne, famed author of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth, wrote a novel that his literary agent deemed too far fetched to be published. More than one hundred years later, his great-grandson found the handwritten, never-before published manuscript in a safe. That manuscript was Paris in the Twentieth Century, and astonishingly prophetic view into the future by one of the most renowned science fiction writers of our time. . . . Praise for Paris in the Twentieth Century "Jules Verne was the Michael Crichton of the 19th century."--The New York Times "For anyone interested in the history of speculative fiction . . . this book is an absolute necessity."--Ray Bradbury"Verne's Paris is a bustling, overcrowded metropolis teeming with starving homeless and 'vehicles that passed on paved roads and moved without horses.' Years before they would be invented, Verne has imagined elevators and faxmachines. It was a vision Verne's editor flatly rejected. Contemporary readers know better."--People"An excellent extrapolation, founded on 19th-century technical novelties, of a future culture."--The Washington Post Book World"Verne published nearly seventy books, many of them now considered classics. But this little jewel catches him just reaching stride as a writer of science fiction, a genre that he, of course, helped put on the literary map."--The Denver Post

Der Abschuß des Projektils aus der vom Kanonenclub in Florida gegossenen Riesenkanone ist geglückt. An Bord der luxuriös ausgestatteten Kapsel befinden sich die drei Freunde Impey Barbicane, der Präsident des Kanonenclubs, sein einstiger erbitterter Gegner Captain Nicholl und der französische Lebenskünstler Michel Ardan sowie zwei Hunde und jede Menge Liebigs Fleischextrakt. Nach einer gefährlichen Begegnung mit einem Boliden wird die Kapsel von der Anziehungskraft des Mondes eingefangen, und sie kreist nun als Trabant um den Himmelskörper. Eine Landung auf dem Mond selbst, eigentlich das Ziel der Reise, erscheint durch einen unglücklichen Umstand unmöglich. Nun inspizieren die Insassen die Mondoberfläche durch ein Fernrohr und schauen auf eine faszinierende Welt. Wenn sie den Mondschatten durchfliegen, müssen sie mörderische Kälte aushalten, ihr Leben wird von einem schlecht eingestellten Sauerstoffgerät bedroht, ein auf sie zuschießender Meteorit explodiert kurz vor dem Zusammenstoß mit der Kapsel. Es scheint, als würden sie dem Schwerefeld des Mondes nie mehr entrinnen ...

Accompanied by his nephew Harry and his guide Hans, Professor Von Hardwigg follows directions in a coded message left by sixteenth-century alchemist Arne Saknussemm to the crater of the volcano Sneffels. There they descend into a subterranean world that is home to marvels from the prehistoric past that could never exist in the world above ground. One of his styled "extraordinary voyages," Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth is a masterpiece of adventure that has never been out of print since it was first published in French in 1864.

The father of science fiction, Jules Verne, invites you to join the intrepid and eccentric Professor Liedenbrock and his companions on a thrilling and dramatic expedition as they travel down a secret tunnel in a volcano in Iceland on a journey which will lead them to the centre of the earth. Along the way they encounter various hazards and witness many incredible sights such as the underground forest, illuminated by electricity, the Great Geyser, the battle between prehistoric monsters, the strange whispering gallery, giant insects and the vast subterranean sea with its ferocious whirlpool. Although published in the nineteenth century, Journey to the Centre of the Earth has lost none of its power and potency to excite and engage the modern reader. The novel has been filmed many times, but nothing can compare with the thrills and excitement generated by the written narrative. It is supreme escapist entertainment for all ages.

Around the World in Eighty Days is one of the most highly acclaimed works by the prolific adventure and science fiction novelist Jules Verne. Phileas Fogg, a highly precise man who religiously follows routines, finds more adventure than he anticipated when he takes on a wager to circumnavigate the Earth in 80 days. Together with his manservant, Passepartout, Fogg makes a breathless world tour, overcoming wild misadventures and finding time to rescue a beautiful Indian Maharani from a burning funeral pyre - all the while restlessly pursued by a bumbling detective called Mr. Fix. Realistically utilizing nearly every means of transportation known in the 1870s, Around the World in Eighty Days generated enchantment with scientific progress - and its delightful mixture of fantasy, comedy, and dazzling suspense has kept it a perennially superb entertainment.

Embark on a thrilling journey through the mesmerizing depths of the ocean with Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a timeless science fiction classic that has captivated readers for generations. This imaginative tale of exploration and adventure takes you deep into the uncharted world beneath the waves, as it follows the enigmatic Captain Nemo and his incredible submarine, the Nautilus. Join Professor Pierre Aronnax, his loyal assistant Conseil, and the skilled harpooner Ned Land as they are taken captive aboard the Nautilus and whisked away on a breathtaking journey beneath the oceans. Marvel at the astonishing discoveries and wonders they encounter, as they traverse the depths of the sea and uncover its many secrets. Through vivid descriptions and unforgettable characters, Verne weaves a captivating story that has inspired countless adaptations and sparked the imaginations of readers for over a century. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is an indispensable addition to any science fiction or classic literature collection, perfect for readers of all ages. Experience the awe and wonder of this epic journey and let the Nautilus transport you to a world of mystery, discovery, and adventure.

Drei kühne Astronauten starten in Florida (unweit vom heutigen Cap Canaveral), werden beobachtet von einem Teleskop (das dort steht, wohin Jules Verne es gesetzt hat: auf Mount Palomar) und landen (nach der 'Reise um den Mond', detebe 20243) programmgemäß im Pazifischen Ozean.

An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention -- a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo's death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villians ever created, takes his revenge on all society. More than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers.

With an Introduction and Notes by Professor Roger Cardinal. University of Kent at Canterbury. Translationsare by Paul Desages (Around the World in Eighty Days) and Arthur Chambers (Five Weeks in a Balloon). JULES VERNE (1828-1905) POSSESSED that rare storyteller's gift of being able to present the far-fetched and the downright unbelievable in such a way as effortlessly to inspire his reader's allegiance and trust. This volume contains two of his best-loved yarns, chosen from among the sixty-four titles of Les Voyages Extraordinaires, Verne's pioneering contribution to the canon of modern science fiction. Around the World in Eighty Days (1873) relates the hair-raising journey made as a wager by the Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg, who succeeds - but only just! - in circling the globe within eighty days. The dour Fogg's obsession with his timetable is complemented by the dynamism and versatility of his French manservant, Passepartout, whose talent for getting into scrapes brings colour and suspense to the race against time. Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) was Verne's first novel. It documents an apocryphal jaunt across the continent of Africa in a hydrogen balloon designed by the omniscient, imperturbable and ever capable Dr Fergusson, the prototype of the Vernian adventurer.

For the past 120 years, readers of English have known only a poor imitation of Jules Verne's classic French novel Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers and consequently relegated the writer to the category of a "boy's author". Since 1873 the standard English version has been Lewis Mercier's mangled "translation," a work that's filled with errors, mistranslations, and bogus additions, and missing nearly a quarter of Verne's original text. Now, thanks to the life-long efforts of two Verne scholars, the English-speaking world at last has access to a definitive translation, the only English version based solely on the level of literary artist and scientific visionary, a category he has always enjoyed in Europe and Russia. Mercier's act of literary vandalism went unnoticed until 1965, when New York University English professor Walter Miller discovered the missing text and began the restoration of the Verne masterpiece. After nearly thirty years of work, including rigorous examinations of his translation by experts in marine technology and biology, Miller teamed that Frederick Paul Walter in 1992 to create this landmark scientific and literary achievement. Restored to the volume along with the original woodcut illustrations are the entertaining and often prescient drams of Captain Nemo, widely considered the prototypical science-fiction character. In this novel alone Verne has anticipated submarine diving planes, scuba gear, underwater laboratories, and marine ecological disasters. He also inspired large-scale underwater mining and farming of flora and fauna, and electricity from thermoclines, all currently in development. Restoration of these visionary ideas and some twenty-three percent of the original text is certain to elevate Verne's standing in American scientific and literary circles.

Written almost a century before the daring flights of the astronauts, Jules Verne's prophetic novel of man's race to the stars is a classic adventure tale enlivened by broad satire and scientific acumen. When the members of the elite Baltimore Gun Club find themselves lacking any urgent assignments at the close of the Civil War, their president, Impey Barbicane, proposes that they build a gun big enough to launch a rocket to the moon. But when Barbicane's adversary places a huge wager that the project will fail and a daring volunteer elevates the mission to a "manned" flight, one man's dream turns into an international space race.

With an exclusive introduction and notes by David Stuart Davies. Translation by Louis Mercier. Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is not only a classic science fiction novel, it is also a thrilling adventure yarn. Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant Conseil and Canadian harpooner Ned Land are held prisoners aboard the fantastic submarine, the Nautilus, by its enigmatic and charismatic commander, Captain Nemo: ‘That terrible avenger, a perfect archangel of hatred.’ And so begins a hazardous and eventful voyage which leads them from the lost city of Atlantis, to the South Pole, hunting in underwater forests and to an encounter with a ferocious giant squid. Published in 1870, the novel continues to fascinate and engage the reader, presenting as it does an incredible journey into a mysterious world of excitement and danger!

Follows Professor Hardwigg, his nephew Harry, and their guide Hans as they venture deep into a volcanic crater in Iceland on a journey that leads them to the center of the Earth and to incredible and horrifying discoveries. Reissue.

First published in 1990. Although one of Jules Verne's lesser known novels, as part of his 'Extraordinary Voyages' collection, there is still much to enjoy about 'The Floating Island'*. Written in 1895 towards the end of his career this is an adventure novel with elements of sci-fi. A French string quartet traveling from San Francisco to their next engagement in San Diego, is diverted to Standard Island. Standard Island is an immense man-made island designed to travel the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The wealth of residents of the island can only be measured in millions. The quartet is hired to play a number of concerts for the residents during their tour of the islands (Sandwich, Cook, Society, etc.) of the South Pacific. The island seems an idyllic paradise; however, it is an island divided in two. The left half's population is led by Jem Tankerdon and is known as the Larboardites. The right half's population is led by Nat Coverley and is known as the Starboardites. Despite the obstacles encountered on their journey, the two parties have a disagreement that threatens the future of the island itself.