by Mark Askeda

Created on: April 27, 2009

Jules Verne was one of the fathers of science fiction. His 1865 book, "From the Earth to the Moon" tells the story of members of the "Gun Club" who, shortly after the end of the American Civil War, were searching for an interesting challenge. The President of the Gun Club, Impey Barbicane, hit on the idea of transporting a projectile from the Earth to the Moon. This was to be done not by flight, but by the use of the largest cannon ever constructed. Other key members of the Gun Club included Mr. Bilsby, Tom Hunter, Colonel Blomsberry, Mr. Murchison, General Morgan, Major Elphinstone and the skeptic, Captain Nichols. It should be noted that Captain Nichols and the project leader, Barbicane, were enemies. The two actually were to have a duel during the cannon's construction phase. Had Mr. Barbicane been killed in the duel, it would have certainly put an end to the project. The Gun Club had as its members all the expertise required to undertake this project. Members included the manager of a gunpowder factory, an artillery officer, and an engineer.

The story focuses on the planning and development of the project. Decisions must be reached on the size of the projectile, type and amount of gunpowder, dimensions of the gun and launching point. Funding for the project was provided by numerous countries around the globe, with the majority coming from the US.

Sometime into the construction of the cannon, it was decided that the shell would carry passengers. The three passengers were Mr. Arden, Barbicane and Captain Nichols. The passengers decided on which provisions to carry, which included food, water and in case the inhabitants of the moon were not friendly, weapons. Carrying passengers on the projectile significantly increased the complexity of the project. Consideration must be taken for the survival of the passengers as well a soft landing on the moon. Additionally, the passengers will need to survive on the moon after completion of the journey.

The book has numerous scientific flaws. For example, survival in a projectile launched from Earth by cannon is impossible. Jules Verne suggests that the moon has an atmosphere and inhabitants. He suggests that survival on the moon does not pose major challenges. However, in certain areas, Verne was well ahead of his time. He clearly predicted space travel. He appears to have a very rudimentary understanding of the theory of relativity. In Mr. Arden's presentation to the Gun Club, he is quoted as saying: "Distance does not really exist", alluding to the bending of space and time in Einstein's theory. The book, written in 1865, preceded Einstein's publication of his theory by 40 years.

Another coincidental prediction by Jules Verne is in the launch points for his projectile. The two locations under consideration were Florida and Texas. These states are the homes of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Johnson Space Center in Texas. Overall, Verne exhibited knowledge and foresight well in advance of his times and he is truly one of the fathers of science fiction.

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