The "man who invented the future," French novelist Jules Verne fanned mankind's desire to explore earth's hidden territories.

His prophetic 1870 adventure novel, featuring a fabulous underwater craft commanded by the brilliant and mysterious Captain Nemo, predated the deep-water submarine.Weaving amazing scientific achievements with simple, everyday occurrences, this memorable tale brims with detailed descriptions of a futuristic vessel and bizarre scenes of life on the ocean's bottom.

On-board travelers view Red Sea coral, wrecks of a historic naval battle, Antarctic ice shelves, and the fictional Atlantis.

In addition, they confront a giant squid and belligerent cannibals, among other rousing adventures.The crowning achievement of Verne's literary career, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea not only influenced H.

G. Wells and future generations of writers, but also inspired numerous films.