"The French novelist's life unfolded peacefully, punctuated with small maritime adventures only disturbed by the problems brought on by his…
son. Different mistresses have been attributed to Verne and he has even been accused of being a pedophile, but this does not seem to be based on very evident facts. The last third of the 19th century offered Europe a rapidly advancing industrial society. Verne observed this new panorama that was opening up to the real world and, also, to the literary world. A collector of scientific reviews, Verne patiently noted new technical theories. The success he achieved with his novel Five Weeks in a Balloon would not abandon him in successive publications, making him one of the most popular writers of his time. He was a forerunner of the science fantasy genre and foretold many scientific inventions and adventures." -- Translation provided by NLS