Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
Widely regarded as the first science fiction novel.
Book Entry · Science Fiction
What is Journey to the Centre of the Earth about?
Decoding a runic manuscript, the irascible Professor Lidenbrock drags his nephew Axel and the imperturbable guide Hans down an Icelandic volcano into a subterranean world of luminous seas, giant mushrooms and battling prehistoric monsters. Verne stacks the journey with geology, palaeontology and the thrill of scientific discovery, while Axel's terrors give the adventure a human pulse. The science was already shaky in 1864 and is fossil-grade now, but the book's sense of wonder — the planet itself as the last unexplored frontier — remains completely undiminished.
Why it matters
A cornerstone of the lost-world subgenre, influencing Doyle, Burroughs and a century of hollow-earth tales. Filmed repeatedly, most fondly in 1959.
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