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SinisterPants

(89 posts)
Mon May 4, 2020, 05:57 PM May 2020

The unexpected delights of too much time. (Jules Verne)

Last edited Mon May 4, 2020, 06:33 PM - Edit history (1)

So, I was watching a Great Courses vid on the history of science-fiction, which led me to a Jules Verne novel I hadn't heard of.

"Paris in the Twentieth Century", written in 1863, written about the year 1960, not published until 1994. That's right, a Jules Verne complete novel went unpublished for 130 years. Crazy!

Not only that, I think it's one of the best things he ever wrote. It is dark, and cynical, and dystopian...a far cry from his usual techno-optimism.

Here's a quote:

“Literature is dead, my boy' the uncle replied. 'Look at these empty rooms, and these books buried in their dust; no one reads anymore; I am the guardian of a cemetery here, and exhumation is forbidden".


And the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_in_the_Twentieth_Century

And a free PDF: https://epdf.pub/paris-in-the-twentieth-century.html

I think this might qualify as the first steampunk novel, Enjoy!
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The unexpected delights of too much time. (Jules Verne) (Original Post) SinisterPants May 2020 OP
Thank you for the post JDC May 2020 #1
I just started rereading the Verne classics this week The Blue Flower May 2020 #2
This message was self-deleted by its author jfz9580m Mar 2022 #3
This message was self-deleted by its author jfz9580m Mar 2022 #4
This message was self-deleted by its author jfz9580m Mar 2022 #5

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