Jules Verne

French author, Jules Verne, is often popularly referred to, along with H.G. Wells, as the Father of Science Fiction. He envisioned travel through the air, in space, and underwater, before any of these things were possible, perfectly capturing the enterprising spirit of the 19th century. As a child he ran away to be a cabin boy on a ship, but was returned to his worried parents. The son of an attorney, Jules was expected to carry on the practice and completed a law degree depsite the fact he was already busy writing. When his father learned his son was involved with the arts, he immediately cut off his allowance, thus forcing the young man to make a living by selling his stories. "I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through." - Jules Verne.