As many other kids, I enjoyed and was amazed by Jules Verne’s novels. They haven’t only had a wide influence on both literary and scientific works but also inspired the steampunk genre. This article’s featured image, by Denis Kornev is titled «Inran Riannon».
«We are all (…) the children of Jules Verne.»
-Ray Bradbury
A recent article by James Haeck in D&D Beyond has ignited my nostalgia, playing a pun on the title of one of the Extraordinary Voyages by the french author. The article is titled «Around Khorvaire in Fifty Days: Encounters of the Week in Eberron» and made me think about those fifty-four novels originally published between 1863 and 1905.
According to Verne’s editor , the goal of the Voyages was…
«…to outline all the geographical, geological, physical, and astronomical knowledge amassed by modern science and to recount, in an entertaining and picturesque format … the history of the universe.»
-Pierre-Jules Hetzel
Verne’s meticulous attention to detail and scientific trivia, coupled with his sense of wonder and exploration, form the backbone of the Voyages. Part of the reason for the broad appeal of his work was the sense that the reader could really learn knowledge of geology, biology, astronomy, paleontology, oceanography and the exotic locations and cultures of world through the adventures of Verne’s protagonists. This great wealth of information distinguished his works as «encyclopedic novels» as they included both science fiction and scientific romance elements.
And if you have been around here, you may have noticed how much I love Eberron as a campaign setting. So as of today, I’m embarking in a new, very ambitious project: a series of one-shots inspired in Jules Verne’s work, to be played in Eberron using the 5e rules for Dungeons & Dragons. What follows are what will be my versions of some of the best-known novels from the first fifty-four published in Verne’s lifetime as part of the «Extraordinary Journeys» collection. I guess this comes also as a reading challenge, since I remember only a few of all those!
- Five Days in an Airship
- Journey to the Center of Khyber
- From Eberron to Syberis
- Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Barren Sea
- The Adventures of Three Brelish men and Three Karrnathis in Xen’drik
- The Scales Country
- Around the World in Eighty Days
- The Mysterious Island
- The Purchase of the Frostfell
So if you’re walking around Sharn and you notice a sign reading «Extraordinary Journeys, by Julius ir’Vern, est. 996», don’t hesitate and get on board. You won’t regret it!
Did you get to play these One-Shots?
Not yet, being «yet» the key word 😉