The Space Novels of Jules Verne: To the Sun? / Off On a Comet!

by Jules Verne

Complete, unabridged texts of "To the Sun?" and "Off on a Comet!" 49 black and white illustrations were selected from French editions published prior to 1900.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

462 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1960

About the author

Novels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873).

This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).

Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...

Reviews

[Redsteve · Rating 2 out of 5]

These two novels are actually two parts of a single story, to a point that they cannot stand separately. TO THE SUN? is more of a SF/disaster story, while OFF ON A COMET! is closer to straight SF. Of the two, I liked the first book better, as OFF ON A COMET! includes large blocks of dry scientific lectures (I mean, literal lectures, being given by the astronomer character) and (believe it or not) the main characters working through math problems. I'm not sure if Verne intended the story as educational or if this was a cynical attempt to bulk out what would have been a much shorter book. The general storyline is actually pretty readable, although Verne does let his personal prejudices shine: making fun of the British characters (this part are actually pretty funny) and producing a really offensive two-dimensional anti-Semitic "Shylock" in the person of "Dutch Isaac." 2.5 stars.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

The science of this fiction appears to be frankly unbelievable even by mid-19th century standards. We are asked to believe that a comet with a large metallic core hit the earth hard enough to carry of a significant part of the Mediterranean--from British Gibraltar to French Algeria, and a bit of Sicily -- yet did it so gently that all the inhabitants of the area comfortably survived, and what is more (since it was a dark and foggy night) the rest of the earth hardly noticed, and doubted the report of the voyagers when they returned after traveling out to Saturn and back, and transferring to earth by a hot-air balloon. However, the story is agreeable enough since it does not seem too seriously intended. As usual Verne's humor involves heavy ethnic stereotypes --the French officer is gallant, his Russian ally almost equally so, their servants are faithful, the Italian peasants are merry and the little Italian girl incredibly sweet.
On the other hand, the British officers are stuffy and insular -- they are also left behind on the meteor at the end, and presumably perish horribly, though this is not described. The most controversial aspect is the depiction of a German-Jewish merchant,
who is shown as greedy and mildly dishonest. The presentation would be considered unacceptably offensive by modern standards, and I believe he is cut from some modern reprints. The best I can say for him is that compared to some of the anti-Semitism of the day he could be worse --he is not trying to conquer the world or defile gentile maidens, and in the end he makes a Scrooge-like transformation to amiability. He also serves to remind readers that at that time Jews in France (and to some extent Britain) were distrusted as being pro-German, as later in the Dreyfus affair or Chesterton's Flying Inn.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Three stars for the premise, but minus one star for feeling like nothing more than a really long lecture on astronomy much of the time.