The minerals of Jules Verne

Abstract

Many rock and mineral collectors have roots in the movies and books of Jules Verne, such as Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864). It seems only fitting that the mineral verneite was recently named after him, one of only three writers (Verne, Goethe and Theophrastus) to have a mineral named after them. Verne was an active amateur geologist, visiting sites throughout Europe. Of Verne's 80 novels, many have geological themes, subthemes or backgrounds second only to the sea. Like in his Journey to the Center of the Earth, Verne's lesser geological novels offer a remarkable literary guide to rocks, minerals and geology. Verne's geology-based novels and writings are extensive and provide a means to re-energize your childhood love of mineral collecting.