Jules Verne was a French novelist who is widely regarded as the "inventor" of science fiction. Verne was fascinated by science and technology, and he popularized them through his talent for writing stories about imaginary journeys. His books also inspired future scientists and many of his imaginings proved prophetic.
In the 1860's, Verne wrote two novels about human travel into space. The first was From the Earth to the Moon. Its sequel was Round the Moon. The two books described journeys that began when travelers were blasted to the lunar surface in a "cylindro-projectile" shot from a monstrous cannon in Florida not far from where Cape Canaveral sits today. The books were immensely popular and set the stage for Verne's other masterpieces, Journey to the Center of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.
