A Classic "Journey" for SF & F Literati, March 23, 2015

Date: March 23, 2015-7:00 p.m.

Title: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Author: Jules Verne This author passed away in 1905, so he doesn’t have an author website; however he does have a Wikipedia page.

Publisher: This novel is a classic, first published in 1864 by Pierre Jules Hetzel

Available from: Fine booksellers, including Barnes & Noble

Meeting Location: Barnes & Noble #2352, 2^nd Floor
11323 W 95th Street, Overland Park, KS 66214

Overview from Barnes & Noble:

Journey to the Center of the Earth, by Jules Verne, is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. 

Plot overview from Wikipedia:

[Journey to the Interior of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne.]

The story involves German professor Otto Lidenbrock who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the centre of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano.

From a scientific point of view, this story has not aged quite as well as other Verne stories, since most of his ideas about what the interior of the Earth contains have since been disproved, but it still manages to captivate audiences when regarded as a classic fantasy novel.

Preview for Next Month:

April 27: The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu
May 18: Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

IMAGES: Many thanks to the North American Jules Verne Society, for the Journey to the Center of the earth cover image. And many thanks to Wesley Chu for the book cover art for The Lives of Tao.