Science in Verne and Poe: The Pym case

Authors

  • Juan Marcos Bonet Safont López Piñero Institute of the University of Valencia (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.6.3315

Keywords:

Poe, Verne, science and literature, Pym, South Pole

Abstract

In 1897, Jules Verne’s novel An antarctic mystery was published both in periodical form and as a complete book. It is a continuation of Edgar Allan Poe’s story The narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838). In this article, we will use the plots of both novels to show the different images of science and technology presented by the two authors. We address both Verne’s and Poe’s approach to science, as conveyed through their fictional stories. We also discuss how Verne’s scientific descriptions are much more extensive than Poe’s, a testament to Verne’s rational and learned character, as opposed to Poe’s more fantastic and imaginative approach to science.

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Author Biography

Juan Marcos Bonet Safont, López Piñero Institute of the University of Valencia (Spain).

MA in History of Science and Scientific Communication, working in the López Piñero Institute of the University of Valencia (Spain). He is currently doing his doctoral studies about Historical and Social Studies on Science, Medicine and Communication at the University of Valencia, with a thesis concerning the relationship between fictional literature and scientific knowledge.

References

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Published

2016-04-15

How to Cite

Bonet Safont, J. M. (2016). Science in Verne and Poe: The Pym case. Metode Science Studies Journal, (6), 6–12. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.6.3315
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