Verne grew up fascinated by seafaring life in the coastal community of Nates, France. He ran away to become a cabin boy on a merchant ship but was rescued and sent to Paris to study law. Paris allowed him to put together his love of adventure and his new-found love of literature. While in Paris he wrote his first play in 1850. He followed up with several novels each including his love of exotic places, the sea, and adventure. Several of his science fiction novels have been made into movies.
20,000 Leaugues Under the Sea (1890)
Many ships are disappearing out at sea. There are strange stories of an angry, horned whale destoying the ships. An expedition goes out to find the answer.
---20,000 Leagues Under the Sea --silent (1916) Universal Pictures, directed by Stuart Paton
---20,000 Leagues Under the Sea --(1954) Walt Disney, directed by Richard Fleisher
---20,000 Leagues Under the Sea --animated(1972)
---20.000 Leagues Under the Sea --1997 (tv) Hallmark, directed by Michael Anderson
Around the World in 80 Days (1873)
Phileas Fogg bets his entire fortune that he can circle the earth in 80 days. He and his butler set out to prove it but not before a bank gets robbed and they are the suspects.
---Around the World in 80 Days -- (tv) (1974)
---Around the World in 80 Days --(miniseries) (1989)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864)
Prof. Lindenbrook leads an expedition to the center of the earth and encounters life-threatening hazards such as scary monsters and other crazy adventures.
---Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) 20th Century, directed by Henry Levin
---Journey to the Center of the Earth (1967) (tv)
---Journey to the Center of the Earth (1989) directed by Rusty Lenorande
---Journey to the Center of the Earth (1993) High Productions, directed by William Dear
---Journey to the Center of the Earth (1976) spanish-Almena, directed by Juan Piquer Simon
---Where Time Began (1976)
De la Terre a la Lune (1865)
---Voyages dans la Lune (1902)--French film
Mysterious Island (1875)
- Civil War POWs escape to an island inhabited by giant plants and animals. A sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
---Mysterious Island (1929) MGM, directed by Lucien Hubbard
---Mysterious Island (1951) Columbia, directed by Spencer Bennet
---Mysterious Island (1961) Columbia, directed by Cy Endfield
---Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo (1972)--Spanish film
---1984 (BBC) (1954)
---1984 (1956)
---1984 (1984)
Lem was born in 1921 in Poland. His writing is noted for his satire and humor and is not limited to science fiction. Several of his novels have served the basis for movies. Lem has also written scientific articles for magazines.
---The Hospital of the Transfiguration (1979)--A Polish film.
---The Investigation (1979) directed by Etienne Perier
---Solaris (1960)--Russian film Creative United Writers and Cinnema Workers, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
---Test Pilot (1938) MGM, directed by Victor Flemming ---this one stars Clark Gable!
---Test Pilot Pirx (1979)--(a Polish Film) Polskie Zepoly Filmowe, directed by Marek Piestrak
---Sentinel of Eternity
---"The Sentinel" found in _Expedition to Earth (1953) and _Of Time and Space_ (1972)
---2010 Odyssey Two (1984) MGM, directed by Peter Hyams
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"If you want a picture of the future imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever."--G.Orwell
George Orwell, or Eric Blair, is a Brittish author born in India. He served in the International Police there before becoming a writer. Orwell also took part in the Spanish Civil War and World War II, where he wrote radio propaganda. His experience with the government led him to question beauraucracy and even history itself. These ideas find their way into his novels, especially _1984_.
1984
The world is divided into 3 states after the Atomic War. The setting is one of these 3 new states, Oceania. Oceania is run completely by the government who controls every aspect of the citezens lives. The character, Winston Smith, rewrites history for "Big Brother." He breaks a law when he falls in love and tries to escape.
The Hospital of the Transfiguration
The narrator checks himself into an insane assylum during WWII. Nazi's take over an insane assylum and several of the patients manage to escape.
The Investigation (1972)
Solaris (1960)
After several deaths on a space station the main character is sent to solve the mystery. There, he meets intelligent aliens and his long-dead wife.
"The Trial"
-Robots are created to replace astronauts in space. The movie is about the test flight.
Clarke was born in Somerset, England. He began his fascination with science and technology as an RAF officer in WWII. He went on exploring new ideas and wrote a paper about satellite communication 25 years before it happened. His two famous novels turned movies (2001 and 2010) led to other successes. There is a book that documents the communication between Clarke (who lived in Sri Lanka at the time) and Peter Hyams in LA. Clarke also had a miniseries, Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World.
2001--A Space Odyessey Directed and produced by Stanley Kubick
One of the most famous films. A mysterious object is found on the moon which is transmitting signals to Jupiter. A team is sent to follow the signal to Jupiter. They are accompanied by HAL their computer. This movie won an Oscar for special effects.
2010
USAA less metaphorical movie than 2001. It is the Year We Make Contact. A sequel to 2001, a US/USSR expedition is sent to find out what happened to the original expedition. Arthur C. Clarke makes a cameo appearance.
