Jules Gabriel Verne was born on February 8th, 1828 on Île Feydeau, a small artificial island on the Loire River in Nantes. His father wanted his son to take over the family law practice. Jules started along this course and despite graduating with a licence en droit in January 1851 was soon diverted by the lure of literature and by his own ambitious talents in this direction. He wrote for the theatre and for magazines and soon with the publication of his first novel; Five Weeks in a Balloon on January 31st, 1863 he had begun his career as an admired and popular author. For many, many years the works flowed, usually no less than and often more than two volumes per year. His meticulous research and imaginative setting and narratives soon established him as a top selling author and he became both famous and wealthy. By publishing firstly as a serialised book and then as a complete book sales swelled as did his reputation. His earnings increased further due to the runaway success from the stage adaptations of Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours (1874) and Michel Strogoff (1876). Strangely, he was overlooked for honours. He was not even nominated for membership of the Académie Française. After the death of both his mother and Hetzel, Jules began to publish darker works but still at a prodigious rate. In 1888, Jules entered politics and was elected town councillor of Amiens, and then served for fifteen years. Jules was now entering the last period of his life. His works continued to flow albeit at a slower pace. His reconciled with his son, Michel who now became an active contributor to his father's works and, when the senior Verne died, would continue to contribute and publish his father's works, ensuring that the work was kept in the public eye and the legacy preserved. On March 24th, 1905, while ill with diabetes, Jules Verne died at his home at 44 Boulevard Longueville, Amiens. As a legacy Jules Verne is forever remembered as 'The Father of Science Fiction'. With his rigorous research Jules was not only able to make his works realistic but also to project forward and predict many new things that would eventually come to pass--either in real life or as the basis for others to use in their own science fiction. Extraordinary indeed.

Off on a Comet is a high-stakes adventure novel and is included in Jules Verne’s celebrated Voyages Extraordinaire series. When the orbit of a comet named Gallia is headed towards the Earth, the planet is facing a very high risk. However, Gallia only touches a small part of the Earth, sparing most of the world, but taking a small region of the planet with it on its journey through space. Thirty-six people, spanning from French, English, Spanish and Russian origins, live on this territory that Gallia has stolen, though they have no idea what has happened. Assuming that the impact was just an earthquake, the people in this territory do not realize that they have left Earth. Slowly, they begin to notice odd happenstances such as weight loss, the ability to jump higher, the short alternation between day and night, flipped compasses, and a new boiling point for water. As each community discovers these changes, the French, English, Spanish, and the Russians all band together to conduct a research expedition, sailing around the seas of their world. When their expeditions prove their suspicions, the group understand their situation more fully, and find out that the comet Gallia is headed back to Earth. However, as old power disputes arise between the nations, they are divided when they must work together to prepare themselves to survive the collision. With complex characters and the fascinating setting of space, Off on a Comet is a thrilling adventure that allows its audience to explore the mysterious realm of space. Included in Jules Verne’s outstanding series, Voyage Extraordinaire, Off on a Comet promises a high stakes adventure, paired with the triumphs and downfalls of humankind as they struggle to work together. Though Off on a Comet was originally published nearly one-hundred and forty-five years ago, this Jules Verne novel continues to delight modern audiences with its unique premise and intriguing setting. This edition of Off on a Comet by Jules Verne is now available with a stunning new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable.