Science fiction is one of the most popular genres of all time; it is read by people of all ages and all fields. Time has witnessed the popular classics that emerged in the world of literature under the category of science fiction. Science fiction brought great appeal to world literature and people began to seek out these highly imaginative yet thoroughly scientific writings more and more. According to Bedford Glossary, science fiction is “a type of fiction that is based on scientific or pseudoscientific concepts and that, whether set on Earth or in an alternate or parallel world, employs both realistic and fantastical elements to explore the question ” And yes…? “The science fiction genre is based on the exploration of different aspects of life, be they social, psychological, moral or biological. It conveys new ideas, not only about the present but also makes great futuristic speculations.
Here I will discuss the novel Journey to the Center of the Earth in light of the given characteristics and prove the importance of the science fiction novel in English literature.
Jules Verne’s famous novel Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of the first novels to become a beacon of light not only for science fiction readers but also for writers. It is written by the famous French author Jules Verne, known for his fantastic adventure stories, and is recognized as one of the pioneers of science fiction. Journey to the Center of the Earth is recognized around the world, is read by people of all ages and has been translated into many other languages.
Journey to the Center of the Earth is a unique literary effort that incorporates great characterization, a simple plot, and great adventurous fiction, wrapped in scientific narratives. The story revolves around the characters of Otto Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel and his guide Hans. Otto Lidenbrock is a renowned geologist, mineralogist and professor at the Johannaeum. Being a man of science, he was enthusiastic about all new scientific discoveries and was always anticipating scientific adventures.
The story is told by Axel, who is a shy, indecisive and unmotivated boy. But being raised under the care of his uncle, he developed much interest in science, minerals, geology and other scientific works. Much of his time was spent in his uncle’s lab. The story begins to unfold when Otto Lidenbrock comes across an old scroll with runic letters inscribed on it. That scroll revealed the secret passage to the center of the earth, its author being the famous Icelandic scientist Arne Saknusseumm. This is when Lidenbrock is swept up in the excitement of becoming the first scientist to discover and take a trip to the center of the earth!
Jules Verne wrote the novel in a way that contained scientific information throughout the story. An important tool in providing readers with a point to sift their mental faculties for scientific knowledge was to add scientific arguments and discussions into the story. He made a lot of those arguments that made the story gripping; for example, when Lidenbrock decides that they will set out for Sneffels Summit and do a quest to the center of the earth, many questions arise in readers’ minds. Questions like; How would the trip be done in complete darkness? When the earth is filled with magma, how will they get through it? And won’t the pressure inside the earth’s crust be unbearable? The author very intelligibly answered all these questions by setting the characters in an argument about these notions. Let us take as an example an excerpt from the novel:
‘Yes, it is well known that the temperature increases by approximately one degree Celsius for every twenty meters that one descends below the surface of the globe. Now, assuming this relationship remains constant, and given that the radius of the Earth is about four thousand miles, the temperature at the center will be well over 200,000°. Therefore, substances in the Earth’s core exist as red-hot gases, since even metals like gold or platinum, even the hardest rocks, cannot withstand such a temperature. My question as to whether it is possible to travel in such an environment is therefore reasonable!
We can clearly see how Verne has added the science fact part (temperature rises about one degree Celsius for every seventy feet) to the story. Making scientific calculations, taking into account the radius of the earth and other variables, shows the great amount of knowledge that Verne has used in writing the novel. Later throughout the story, he creates the atmosphere of curiosity and adventure for the readers, and thus one begins to anticipate what is coming in the story.
Adding scientific knowledge and fantasy for readers in a science fiction knowledge is inevitable. Jules Verne in his novel takes full knowledge and responsibility for it. At one point in the novel, when Lidenbrock is ready to make the journey, they prepare a complete list of supplies and instruments needed for such a journey. The list is given in the form of a scientific list:
“The instruments included:
1. A centigrade thermometer made by Eigel, graduated at 150°, which didn’t seem quite right to me…
2. A pressure gauge actuated by compressed air, designed to display pressures above sea level…”
This list is important when analyzing the novel under the characteristics of science fiction novels. It gives us the details of the scientific instruments and their information with great precision and accuracy. The valuable information given to the readers is immense and this part of the story drives the interest of the readers and helps make it more and more ‘grounded in a high degree of realism’.
Throughout the novel, Verne refers to actual places, locations, and actual geographical events. For example when Lidenbrock together with Axel undertake the trip to Iceland; Verne adds the following lines:
“Iceland is one of the largest islands in Europe. Its area extends over fourteen hundred miles, but it has only sixty thousand inhabitants. Geographers have divided it into four parts, and it was the South-West Quarter Region, ‘Sudvestr Fjordjngr’, which we had to cross, almost diagonally”.
This factual information provided by Verne provides readers with immense knowledge and entertainment; it becomes easier for readers to relate to real-life places than to imagine a fantasy world. This adds to the general knowledge of the readers as well.
Once the journey under the earth’s crust gains momentum, an adventurous aura envelops the novel and, one after another, many discoveries occur. In a place in the novel, Axel gets lost and is left alone in the dark to find his companions. In this situation he suddenly hears his uncle calling him by his name, this is the moment when Verne uses the famous scientific phenomenon known as ‘acoustic effect’. Jules Verne provides further insight into the special effect by saying the following words:
“This surprising acoustic effect can be easily explained by simple natural laws; it arose from the peculiar shape of the gallery and the conductivity of the rock.”
Here we see that Verne explains how the scientific phenomenon works, and also gives examples from different places on earth such as “the Whispering Gallery at St Paul’s in London”. This makes his ideas more convincing and concrete.
Jules Verne creates a fantastic underground world and shares unique and daring adventures with readers. His scientific imagination reaches great heights and opens up new dimensions of thought for readers as new ideas and possibilities are presented to them. Journey to the Center of the Earth takes its readers through the Lidenbrock Sea, which is “a vast sheet of water…”, and around the shore there were “high and dense forests…” that had plantations of all ages, trees of medium height and dense vegetation. Through the imagery of this forest you can explore the different ages of evolution, the primary dishes and animals, as well as the growth of secondary vegetation. Readers get used to the ideas of how different species lived on Earth and evolved and became what they are today.
One of the characteristics of science fiction novels is that they include fantastic characters such as aliens or monsters. And Journey to the Center of the Earth contains an entire chapter dedicated to the “Battle of the Monsters.” In it is the description of two ominous monsters, which are half lizard and half whale. These monsters fight in a fierce battle and this adds to the thrill and excitement of the novel.
The discovery of the human skeleton, the ferocious electronic storm, the powerful geyser, and the diverse underground life add beauty to the novel and keep readers engrossed until the end. Journey to the Center of the Earth not only provides scientific knowledge, but also develops a sense among readers to reflect on scientific information and explore different areas and discoveries in science. This book enhances people’s interest in topics such as geology, geography and other natural sciences.
Even today Science Fiction remains the most anticipated literary genre. It has gained much popularity among children and youth due to its challenging and exciting appeal. Many new writers are emerging in this genre and are joining the world of literature. The popularity of science fiction can easily be gauged by the fact that there are hundreds of movies related to it, such as Star Trek, Star Wars, ET, Frankenstein, Batman, and the list is endless! Therefore, the future of science fiction is also safe and promising.
