Anyway, I will spend the little, insufficient time I have giving you all a little snippet about the father of the science fiction genre, Jules Verne. I'll give you a link at the end in the event that you want to learn more, unless you're already well versed in Verne. For all of us who read sci/fi, fantasy, and other genres that dabble with the paranormal, we have Jules Verne to thank for his early work, so, if you, like me, have no time to for a proper celebration, you can take a moment right here, right now, to sing with me on this glorious anniversary of the day of his birth.
Ready:
Happy Birthday to Jules, Happy Birthday to Jules, Happy Birthday dear Juuuulllleees ... Happy Birthday to Jules ...
And here we go,
Jules Verne, was a popular French author in his time, and the founding father of science fiction along with his contemporary H.G. Wells (The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, but today isn't his birthday, so that's enough of that). Verne wrote stories in both the adolescent (today we call it YA) and adult categories that capitalized on the fascination with scientific progress and invention that was, perhaps for the first time in history, becoming general fodder for the masses in the mid to late nineteenth century. Verne left us with classics such as Around the World in Eighty Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Journey to the Center of the Earth, amongst others. I highlight these as they are, perhaps, his greatest stories ever, but certainly are Verne's legacy--they made him a legend. These particular stories have been made and remade into movies time and time again, and even their premises have been used as ideas for other written and visual entertainment. Around the World in Eighty Days was most recently remade for the screen in 2004 so will continue to excite a new generation and there is even a ride at Disney World in Florida inspired by Vernes' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ...
I have to go to work now, so here is the link I promised:
~Tha Motha
