A. J. Blakemont

  • About the Author
  • Nonfiction
  • Fiction
  • Blog
  • Links
  • Privacy Policy

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

March 28, 2015 by AJ Leave a Comment

The ocean is the most mysterious place on Earth. We probably know more about the other planets of the Solar system than about the depths of this vast expanse that covers 71% of the surface of our planet. Deep-sea exploration has been fascinating humankind since antiquity. In the Alexander Romance (earliest version traced to the third century BC), we find an episode in which Alexander explores the bottom of the sea in a glass diving bell.

Underwater-ship-800pxBut the ultimate classic novel dealing with oceanic exploration is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (French: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, 1870). This literary masterpiece is one of the earliest science fiction novels, and it features a particularly interesting postromantic character, the “tragic villain” Captain Nemo. Jules Verne shows us that the human soul is like the abyss; one can find light even in an ocean of darkness.

 

Filed Under: Classics, Science fiction Tagged With: classic, deep-sea exploration, Jules Verne, science fiction

Edgar Allan Poe and science fiction

March 28, 2015 by AJ Leave a Comment

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) is known for his mystery and horror short stories, but he also wrote in other genres, including science fiction. His best science fiction stories (in chronological order) are The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall, The Conversation of Eiros and Charmion, The Colloquy of Monos and Una, and Mellonta Tauta. We can also mention A Tale of the Ragged Mountains, Mesmeric Revelation, The Power of Words, and The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.

His only (complete) novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), bordered on science fiction and inspired masterpieces such as Moby-Dick (1851) by Herman Melville, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1870) and An Antarctic Mystery (1897) by Jules Verne. Edgar Allan Poe also wrote an essay on cosmology, Eureka: A Prose Poem (1849), that can be read as a philosophical science fiction work.

Edgar Poe's science fiction stories
Illustration of Edgar Poe’s science fiction stories

Filed Under: Classics, Science fiction Tagged With: classic, Edgar Allan Poe, Gothic, Herman Melville, Jules Verne, romanticism, science fiction

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter

About the Author

A. J. Blakemont is a novelist and essayist interested in speculative and gothic fiction. He is also passionate about music, history and its mysteries. He grew up in Paris where he studied literature. He lives near London and he is a member of the Society of Authors.

Blog Categories

  • Alternative cultures (3)
    • Events (2)
  • Books (20)
    • Awards (2)
    • Classics (4)
    • Fantasy (12)
    • giveaways (1)
    • Horror (8)
    • Science fiction (15)
  • Cinema (1)
  • History (5)
    • Literature (5)
  • Travel (2)
    • UK (2)

Tags

Anne Rice Arthur C. Clarke awards best sellers Bram Stoker classic Cthulhu deep-sea exploration Dracula Edgar Allan Poe fantasy fashion Frankenstein Gothic H. G. Wells Herman Melville history Horace Walpole horror I Am Legend Jane Austen John Polidori John W. Campbell Jules Verne Lord Byron Lovecraft Matthew Lewis mirror souls paranormal Philip K. Dick photos romanticism sci-fi science fiction Sheridan Le Fanu Shirley Jackson Terry Pratchett Theodore Sturgeon Theophile Gautier time travel True Blood urban fantasy vampires Walter Scott Whitby

Copyright

© A. J. Blakemont, 2014-2021.
A. J. Blakemont is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Copyright © 2023 · Agency Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in