Jules Verne was born at Nantes, in France, on February 8, 1828. From his childhood, Jules had a great desire to travel. He and his brother Paul would read travel stories by candlelight, secretly, and when there was nothing to read, they invented stories and told them to each other. Jules Verne's father, however,wanted his son to study law and sent him to the Sorbonne, in Paris, for that purpose. But Jules did not attend a single class and spent his time in the world of theatre, and even wrote some plays, which were not successful. Disappointed, he started visiting the public libraries to wile away his time.
But this was a blessing in disguise. A wonderful new world, more fascinating than travel, opened up before him- the world of the natural sciences. Jules read avidly,and gifted with a remarkable memory, he soon became a storehouse of boundless information, which was to become the foundation of his great success as a writer of science fiction.
A lucky chance brought him in contact with a person who was planning a trip across Europe in a balloon. Jules Verne entered into the scheme wholeheartedly. Though he could not go on the trip, he was inspired to write his first book Five Weeks in a Balloon, which was an instant success.
With tremendous knowledge at his command, coupled with an equally remarkable imagination, he wrote his second book From the Earth to the Moon, which was the first story to use the rocket principle. Its sucess was incredible. The people waited breathlessly for the sequel Round the Moon which described the space hourney in detail. All his stories combine adventure and popular science in highly readable and enjoyable form. Often considered as "The Father of Science Fiction", Jules Verne died at Amiens on 24th March, 1905.
Today, more than a hundred years after they were witten, Jules Verne's books are as popular as before. But what was conceived as fiction is fiction no more, for the development of science and technology has given them the stamp of reality.
