Topsy-Turvy by Jules Verne
Author: Jules Verne | Published: 1889
Topsy-Turvy Synopsis
Topsy-Turvy is a novel by Jules Verne, first published in 1889. The other title of the story is The Purchase of the North Pole. The novel opens with a global auction to decide who will have sovereign powers over the portion of the Arctic from the 84th parallel, the highest point on Earth that has yet to be reached by humans, to the North Pole. Many nations send representatives, but the winning bid comes from an unnamed bidder in the United States. Barbicane and Co., a business created by Impey Barbicane, J.T. Maston, and Captain Nicholl — the same Baltimore Gun Club members who, twenty years earlier, reached the Moon inside a sizable cannon shell — is revealed to be the unknown buyer after the auction closes.
Barbicane and Co.'s plan is to use the North Pole as a base for a massive cannon that will be used to fire projectiles into space. The cannon will be so powerful that it can displace the Earth's rotation axis, which will cause the North Pole to move to a more temperate latitude. This will open up the Arctic for settlement and exploitation and make it possible to mine the vast coal deposits that are believed to exist under the ice. The plan is met with mixed reactions. Some people are excited about the possibilities, while others are concerned about the environmental impact. However, Barbicane and Co. are determined to see their plan through, and they eventually succeed in firing the cannon and displacing the Earth's rotation axis.
About Jules Verne
Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French author known as the "Father of Science Fiction." He was born on February 8, 1828, in Nantes, France. Verne was fascinated with travel and exploration from an early age, inspired by the stories of his seafaring father. However, his father wanted him to pursue a legal career, so Verne studied law in Paris.
Despite studying law, Verne developed a passion for writing, and his first published work was a play in 1850. However, it was his adventure novels that brought him fame and recognition. Verne's most famous works include "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873), and "The Mysterious Island" (1874). Find out more about Jules Verne at sevenov.com.