Verniana — Jules Verne Studies / Etudes Jules Verne — Volume 9 (2016–2017) — 29–42
Engineering Fiction
Without going back to the explicit mission assigned to Jules Verne by Hetzel, this article attempts to distinguish among the criteria that define scientific knowledge as it is presented in Jules Verne’s work. From classifications to discoveries and a growing confrontation with the natural world, Verne’s scientific explorations are best illustrated in the concepts of engineering and bricolage. These concepts also help define the writer’s strategies when it came to engaging the reader in unexplored territories.
Note: This analysis was presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Jules Verne Society in Philadelphia (PA) July 14, 2016.
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