Jules Verne (1824-1905). A legendary French author and known for spearheading the science fiction genre, he is also recognized as the father of modern science fiction. Jules Verne was born on February 8, 1828, in the port city of Nantes, France. As a child, he was known for his boundless imagination and love of adventure. His first book with Hetzel, Five Weeks in a Balloon was an immediate success, and it marked the beginning of his career as a writer. Over the next few years, Verne wrote a series of novels that would establish him as one of the most popular and beloved writers of his time. His works such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea were characterized by their vivid descriptions of fascinating destinations, daring adventures and scientific discovery and fiction.