Other editions of book Journey to the Center of the Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth (French: Voyage au centre de la Terre, also translated under the titles A Journey to the Centre of the Earth and A Journey to the Interior of the Earth) is an 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves German professor Otto Lidenbrock who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the centre of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano.The genre of subterranean fiction already existed long before Verne. However, the present book considerably added to its popularity and influenced later such writings. For example, Edgar Rice Burroughs explicitly acknowledged Verne's influence on his own Pellucidar series.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was published in 1864. Verne was fascinated with the northern and southern poles of Earth and as Arctic exploration was in its infancy in the mid-19th century, the unknown north was an ideal setting for the imaginative forays of science fiction, a new literary genre. Northern exploration was in the news and Verne was inspired to write a novel based on the premise that the center of the Earth is hollow.This annotated edition includes a biography and critical essay.