Journey to the Center of the Earth (Voyage au centre de la Terre) was published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel in 1864. Professor Otto Lidenbrock, an impetuous German mineralogist, discovers a coded message in a sixteenth-century manuscript by the Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussemm, claiming that the center of the Earth can be reached through the crater of Snæfellsjökull in Iceland. Lidenbrock and his reluctant nephew Axel descend through the volcano and discover a vast underground world: immense caverns, a subterranean ocean, prehistoric vegetation of enormous size, and living animals from the Mesozoic era — ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and even a twelve-foot-tall primitive human.
The novel was one of the earliest works of science fiction and established the “hollow earth” adventure as a genre. Its influence on subsequent fiction — from Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World to Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Pellucidar series — was immense.
Collecting Journey to the Center of the Earth
First edition in French (Hetzel, Paris, 1864): One of Verne’s earliest Voyages Extraordinaires. Hetzel cartonnage binding.
Market values:
- Hetzel first edition, fine: $5,000–$15,000
- First English edition: $1,000–$5,000
- Later illustrated editions: $50–$500
Projected values (2026–2036): Strong appreciation. One of the foundational texts of science fiction.
The Descent
Professor Otto Lidenbrock discovers a coded message in an old manuscript revealing a passage to the Earth’s interior through an Icelandic volcano. With his nephew Axel, he descends into Snæfellsjökull and discovers a subterranean world of prehistoric creatures, vast underground seas, and geological wonders. Published in 1864, the novel established Verne’s method: take a genuine scientific concept (the hollow Earth theory was still debated), research it exhaustively, and build an adventure around it. The geological descriptions remain impressive; the sense of wonder is inexhaustible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jules Verne? Jules Verne (1828–1905) was a French novelist who, along with H.G. Wells, is considered the founder of science fiction. He published over sixty novels as part of his Voyages Extraordinaires series. His works have been translated into more languages than those of any other author except Agatha Christie, and he remains the second most translated author in the world.