An early science fiction novel written by the second most translated author, French writer Jules Verne, the classic tale depicts an incredible sea expedition on board a state-of-the-art submarine. First published in 1870 and a part of the Voyages Extraordinaires series, the novel is regarded as one of the most thrilling adventure stories and one of Verne’s greatest pieces of work. Immersed in themes of exploration, avant-garde technology, and man’s insatiable desire for knowledge and scientific progression, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea has been an influence for many writers as well as an inspiration for numerous film adaptations. The novel kicks off when rumors spread about sightings of a mysterious sea monster, initially thought to be a giant narwhal. This instigates the United States government to organize an expedition in hopes of hunting down and destroying the ravaging creature. Consequently, French marine biologist Pierre Aronnax is invited to join the expedition, who takes with him his trusted servant Conseil, along with expert harpooner Ned Land, and accordingly the trio set about the search. Following a lengthy pursuit, the ship finally finds and attacks the monster but to no avail, as the impact hurls the three men into the water. In an attempt to grasp the hide of the monster, the men come to a startling discovery as they realize the supposed monster is in fact a submarine. The men are then captured and brought inside the futuristic vessel, which they later find out is named Nautilus, and meet its enigmatic commander and creator, Captain Nemo. So begins the journey on board the Nautilus, as its three coerced guests travel across all the world’s seas visiting different underwater locations while witnessing the most bizarre, yet gripping marvels of the oceanic depths. Shipwrecks, giant squids, sharks, lost cities, coral reefs, whirlpools and an eccentric captain are just some of the obstacles separating the trio from their freedom. An exhilarating subaqueous adventure through unseen wonders, Verne’s detailed and prophetic imagination propels the novel and secures its position as a literary classic and a pristine model for science fiction enthusiasts.
Latest episodes of the podcast Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
- 1-01: A Runaway Reef
- 1-02: The Pros and Cons
- 1-03: As Master Wishes
- 1-04: Ned Land
- 1-05: At Random!
- 1-06: At Full Steam
- 1-07: A Whale of Unknown Species
- 1-08: Mobilis in Mobili
- 1-09: The Tantrums of Ned Land
- 1-10: The Man of the Waters
- 1-11: The Nautilus
- 1-12: Everything through Electricity
- 1-13: Some Figures
- 1-14: The Black Current
- 1-15: An Invitation in Writing
- 1-16: Strolling the Plains
- 1-17: An Underwater Forest
- 1-18: Four Thousand Leagues Under the Pacific
- 1-19: Vanikoro
- 1-20: The Torres Strait
- 1-21: Some Days Ashore
- 1-22: The Lightning Bolts of Captain Nemo
- 1-23: Aegri Somnia
- 1-24: The Coral Realm
- 2-01: The Indian Ocean
- 2-02: A New Proposition from Captain Nemo
- 2-03: A Pearl Worth Ten Million
- 2-04: The Red Sea
- 2-05: Arabian Tunnel
- 2-06: The Greek Islands
- 2-07: The Mediterranean in Forty-Eight Hours
- 2-08: The Bay of Vigo
- 2-09: A Lost Continent
- 2-10: The Underwater Coalfields
- 2-11: The Sargasso Sea
- 2-12: Sperm Whales and Baleen Whales
- 2-13: The Ice Bank
- 2-14: The South Pole
- 2-15: Accident or Incident?
- 2-16: Shortage of Air
- 2-17: From Cape Horn to the Amazon
- 2-18: The Devilfish
- 2-19: The Gulf Stream
- 2-20: In Latitude 47 degrees 24′ and Longitude 17 degrees 28′
- 2-21: A Mass Execution
- 2-22: The Last Words of Captain Nemo
- 2-23: Conclusion