Today’s the day! It’s launch day for the new anthology 20,000 Leagues Remembered. This book was 150 years in the making.
Let me explain. The first publication of Jules Verne’s classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was in serial form. It appeared in two-week intervals in a magazine, the Magasin d’éducation et de recreation, edited by Pierre-Jules Hetzel. Starting on March 20, 1869, the magazine printed a chapter or two in each issue, concluding on June 20, 1870.
The first time the public could read the novel from beginning to end was on that Wednesday in June, the first day of summer, precisely 150 years ago today.
To commemorate the sesquicentennial, Pole to Pole Publishing presents 20,000 Leagues Remembered, an anthology of works by modern authors, each inspired by Verne’s literary masterpiece. Along with the Senior Editor, Kelly A. Harmon, I co-edited the book. It’s the first book I’ve ever edited.
What will you get when you buy this book? You’ll enjoy sixteen short stories, each paying homage to the Father of Science Fiction and his novelized underwater voyage. They span the spectrum from adventures set at a time contemporary with Verne’s tale, to more thoughtful historical pieces exploring various aspects of the novel, to stories set in our present day, to others that defy easy categorization.
Our table of contents includes:
“The Ghost of Captain Nemo” by J. Woolston Carr,
“Water Whispers” by Gregory L. Norris,
“At Strange Depths” by Jason J. McCuiston,
“The Maelstrom” by Maya Chhabra,
“The Game of Hare and Hounds” by Stephen R. Wilk,
“Recruiter” by Andrew Gudgel,
“Nemo’s World” by James J.C. Kelly,
“The Silent Agenda” by Mike Adamson,
“Fools Rush In” by Allison Tebo,
“An Evening at the World’s Edge” by Alfred D. Byrd,
“A Concurrent Process” by Corrie Garrett,
“Homework Help From No One” by Demetri Capetanopoulos,
“Leviathan” by Michael D. Winkle,
“Last Year’s Water” by Nikoline Kaiser,
“Farragut’s Gambit” by M.W. Kelly, and
“Raise the Nautilus” by Eric Choi.
It’s not necessary to have read Verne’s book first. You can still enjoy these stories on their own. You might gain a deeper appreciation of them if you dive into the original first, though. For dedicated Verne scholars, be aware that some of our authors scattered ‘easter eggs’ in their stories for you—little references (some quite obscure) that will make you smile.
Where, you’re wondering, can you get your own copy of this book? I thought you’d never ask. It’s available as an ebook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.
We’ll launch a paperback version as soon as we can, likely in a month or two. If you read my blogposts or follow me on social media, you won’t miss that announcement.
As Ned Land said, “Professor Aronnax…You talk about some future day… I’m talking about now.” Now, as in today. Launch day. After 150 years, the Nautilus sails again, thanks to Kelly A. Harmon and—
Poseidon’s Scribe