One of the great ‘first novels’ in world literature is now available in a complete, accurate English translation. Prepared by two of America’s leading Verne scholars, Frederick Paul Walter and Arthur B. Evans, this edition honors not only Verne’s farseeing science, but also his zest, style, and storytelling brilliance. Initially published in 1863, Five Weeks in a Balloon was the first novel in what would become the author’s ‘Extraordinary Voyages’ series. It tells the tale of a 4, 000-mile balloon trip over the mysterious continent of Africa, a trip that wouldn’t actually take place until well into the next century. Fusing adventure, comedy, and science fiction, Five Weeks has all the key ingredients of classic Verne: sly humor and cheeky characters, an innovative scientific invention, a tangled plot that’s full of suspense and surprise, and visions of an unknown realm. As part of the Early Classics of Science Fiction series, this critical edition features extensive notes, all the illustrations from the original French edition, and a complete Verne biography and bibliography. Five Weeks in a Balloon will be a prized addition to libraries and science fiction reading lists, and a must-read for Verne fans and steampunk connoisseurs.
Publication of this book is funded by the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Cuprins
Introduction: Verne Takes Off
Five Weeks in a Balloon
Notes on the Translation
Gallery of Heroes
Notes
Bibliography
Jules Gabriel Verne: A Biography
About the Contributors
Despre autor
Arthur B. Evans is an emeritus professor of French at De Pauw University and winner of the 2014 Cyrano prize for his scholarly contributions to the field of French science fiction. He has published numerous books and articles on Jules Verne and other early writers of French science fiction, serves as the managing editor of Science Fiction Studies and is the general editor of Wesleyan’s Early Classics of Science Fiction series.