Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.— Jules Verne
Jules Verne
The writer who imagined the future
Jules Verne grew up in a busy port town in France, where tall ships came and went all day long. He loved watching them and wondered about all the faraway places they were sailing to.
There's even a story that, when he was 11, he secretly climbed aboard a ship heading for the other side of the world! His dad caught him just in time. Jules promised he would only travel… in his imagination. And he kept that promise the best way he could, writing stories that let everyone travel with him.
Quick Facts
- Born: February 8, 1828
- From: Nantes, France
- Occupation: Author
- Famous for: Twenty Thousand Leagues, Around the World in 80 Days, and more!
Jules wrote almost every morning starting at 5 a.m., standing at a tall desk near his window.
His Famous Adventures
Read his stories on Worldly
Each Verne classic is gently adapted to your reading level, so the adventure fits you just right. Tap a book to start.
★ On Worldly
1870Dive aboard the submarine Nautilus with the mysterious Captain Nemo and explore the wonders, and dangers, of the deep.
★ On Worldly
1873Can a traveler circle the entire planet in just 80 days? A thrilling dash by train, ship, and even elephant.
★ On Worldly
1864Climb down a volcano into a hidden world of glowing caves, underground oceans, and prehistoric creatures.
1865A daring club of inventors builds a giant cannon to fire three explorers all the way to the Moon.
1863Verne's very first hit! Soar over the wilds of Africa in a hot-air balloon on a record-breaking voyage.
1875Castaways crash-land on a strange island and must use cleverness and teamwork to survive its secrets.
His Life, Year by Year
A life full of adventures (mostly on paper!)
Follow Jules from a curious kid by the harbor to the most famous adventure writer in the world.
A baby is born by the river
Jules Gabriel Verne is born on a little island in the city of Nantes, France, surrounded by rivers, boats, and the salty smell of the sea.
The great escape (that wasn't)
Eleven-year-old Jules sneaks aboard a ship, hoping to sail away on an adventure. He's brought home before it leaves, but the dream of exploring never goes away.
Off to the big city
Jules moves to Paris to study law, like his father wanted. But every spare moment, he's scribbling plays and stories instead. His heart belongs to writing.
His first big hit
Verne publishes Five Weeks in a Balloon, a wild trip across Africa by hot-air balloon. Readers love it! It kicks off a whole series he calls "Extraordinary Voyages."
Under the sea in the Nautilus
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea introduces the mysterious Captain Nemo and his amazing submarine. People had never read anything quite like it.
Around the world in 80 days
Verne's most famous race-against-the-clock adventure is published. Could one determined traveler really circle the entire globe in just 80 days? The whole world wanted to find out.
A storyteller says goodbye
Jules Verne dies at age 77 in Amiens, France. But his adventures never stopped, today he's one of the most-translated authors on Earth, read in over 140 languages.
Worlds He Imagined
He dreamed it… then it came true
Here's the spooky-cool part, Jules wrote about inventions that didn't exist yet. Years and years later, real scientists actually built them!
20,000 Leagues · 1870
The electric submarine
Captain Nemo's Nautilus roamed the deep sea using electricity. Real electric submarines wouldn't sail for decades, and the U.S. Navy even named one of its subs after his ship!
Earth to the Moon · 1865
A rocket to the Moon
Verne launched three explorers toward the Moon from Florida. Over 100 years later, NASA's Apollo astronauts really did blast off from Florida to the Moon.
Around the World · 1873
Globe-trotting travel
Phileas Fogg's speedy trip around the planet seemed impossible. Today you can fly all the way around the world in less than two days. Jules would be amazed!
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about Jules Verne
He almost ran away at age 11
Young Jules sneaked onto a ship bound for the Indies. His father raced after him and brought him home before it set sail.
He sailed on his own boat
As a grown-up, Jules finally got his sea legs. He owned a boat named the Saint-Michel and loved cruising along the coast.
He researched everything
Verne filled thousands of cards with facts about science, geography, and machines so his wildest stories felt completely real.
One of the most-translated ever
His books have been translated into more than 140 languages, putting him near the top of the most-translated authors in history.
His stories went to the movies
Filmmakers loved his adventures. His tales have been turned into films and shows again and again for over 100 years.
"Father of science fiction"
Along with a couple of other writers, Jules helped invent the whole idea of science fiction, stories about amazing future science.
Good questions, answered
Jules Verne FAQ
Who was Jules Verne?+
Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French writer often called one of the “fathers of science fiction.” He wrote more than 60 adventure novels, including Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days.
What is he famous for?+
His thrilling “Extraordinary Voyages”, stories about submarines, balloon journeys, rockets to the Moon, and races around the world. Many of the inventions he imagined were later built for real.
How many books did he write?+
More than 60 novels in his Voyages Extraordinaires series, plus short stories and plays. He's one of the most-translated authors in the entire world.
Did he really predict the future?+
He wasn't a fortune-teller, but he imagined technology before it existed, like electric submarines and spacecraft launched from Florida. Years later, real scientists and explorers built many of them.
What age are his stories good for?+
Readers of all ages love them. On Worldly, his books are adapted to each child's reading level, so kids from about age 7 can enjoy them on their own, and younger ones with a grown-up reading along.
Ready for an adventure?
Dive in with Jules Verne
Start with Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, adapted to fit your reading level. Dive in free in the Worldly app.