A Remarkable Incident

“The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon which doubtless no one has yet forgotten.”

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea by Jules Verne · Episode 1 of 7

Jules Verne published Vingt mille lieues sous les mers in 1869–1870, pioneering the scientific romance that would become science fiction. This episode opens the novel, in which naturalist Pierre Aronnax joins an American expedition to hunt a mysterious sea creature terrorising global shipping lanes. The text reflects its era in maritime terminology and mid-Victorian confidence in scientific progress; a few period terms have been modernised. Verne's genius lies in extrapolating from contemporary technology—the submarine was experimental in the 1860s—to imagine a vessel decades ahead of its time. The novel remains worth reading for its prescient vision of undersea exploration, its moral complexity as wonder turns to horror, and its central question: what are the limits of human knowledge and the cost of rejecting humanity?

Band

Silver · First-year university levelTypical starting range: adult

Length

long · about 1667 words in 5 sections · 1 picture

Source

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Jules Verne

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

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