Jules Verne : Pioneer Of Science Fiction

The scientific revolution, also known as “The Age of Enlightenment” was a certain period of a time which changed people's thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives on religion, technology, and various other human philosophies. Long before the scientific revolution took place, there were rules that society followed where all humanity had the same, or similar thoughts and beliefs, and they were often told all the things they had to do by priests, churches, and other of the kind. This went on until approximately the 1550 to 1700’s, when the “The Age of Enlightenment” took place and changed everyone’s mindset on the aspects of human philosophies. The scientific revolution is represented in several different ways and humans don’t realize that the scientific revolution occurs everyday globally and affects us all the time. I am going to be telling you how the scientific revolution is represented in the both Dracula and Frankenstein, which are captivating, gothic horror novels.

John Muir was a muckraker who protested against the expansion of people and animals that would ruin our soon to be national parks. Muir was a man that loved to explore natural formations in nature and traveled around the world to see as much natural land as possible. As he traveled around the world, he found out that California was his place to live. In California, his favorite places to explore and watch were the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite. As more and more settlers moved West, the land that Muir loved was soon to be destroyed by herds of animals and people looking for a place to build their homes. Muir wrote most of his 300 articles and 10 major books in Oakland, California. In Muir’s writings, he elegantly

“Oh! No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch” (Shelley 57). This statement is how Mary Shelley successfully portrayed the overall negative consensus of the industrialization of Europe in the 1800s in her novel Frankenstein. This story parallels the world’s transition from nature and emotion to reason and truth which was the primary cause for the industrial revolution. Though the revolution brought new technology and knowledge, people felt as though they were enslaved by this sudden change. This is clear through Shelley’s Dr. Frankenstein and the ‘wretched monster’ that would forever change the world.

Jacques Cousteau was a man of all trades. He was a photographer, inventor of diving devices, undersea explorer, soldier, writer, oceanographer, and documentary host (“Jacques Cousteau biography,” n.d.). He developed the first ever trademarked SCUBA device titled the Aqua-Lung (“Invention; the Aqua lung,” n.d.). SCUBA is an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. Cousteau made his grand entrance June 11, 1910, in Saint-André-de-Cubzac, France. Cousteau was a sickly child, who the doctors told not to participate in any strenuous activity. He learned to swim at age 4 and soon developed a love for the sea as well as developing a mechanical aptitude (“Jacques Cousteau biography - life,” n.d.).

The Special Theory of relativity is an acknowledged physical theory that revolutionized advancements in the relationship between space, and time. The theory is one of the most interesting discoveries that are still used today in science fiction movies such as Star Wars, and Star Trek through the use of black holes, and time travel due to it’s astonishing results, and it occurrence at speeds close to the speed light, which can be appealing to a wide range of audience. This was a harvest from six years of extremely handwork by Albert Einstein. Einstein used resources that were widely available to the public due to his economic constraints. It wasn’t until 1905, when Einstein finally had finished and published his discoveries, and gatherings

The Scientific Revolution was at its height during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with many supporters and critics of the works of scientists. It was the transition from the medieval, philosophical and religious perspective to a secular and rational perspective. One of the biggest debates that defined the Scientific Revolution was the debate over whether the universe was geocentric (with the earth at the center of the universe), or heliocentric (with the earth revolving around the sun). The works of these scientists was influenced by political leaders for their desire in power, the clash of ideas between religious leaders and institutions, and differentiation towards female scientists and unorganization in research. In all, each of these three parts of society contributed to the Scientific Revolution in very important ways.

Frankenstein, written by author Mary Shelley, was a romantic based story written in Europe during the eighteen hundreds. During this time period, Europe was experiencing many social and economic changes. Many of these changes were a product of the industrial revolution of Europe. This time period can be defined and era of exploration, discovery and industrialization in which ideas were pushed to the limits. Victor’s creation of Frankenstein is a reflection of the industrial revolution and a scientific era in which the borders of the possible are pushed and society is forced to face a monster of their own.

The typical horror story in the current century is the idea of the dead, coming alive. Yet in the status quo, the zombie era is truly coming to life, and it is easy to figure out where this idea originated. The historic book Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley describes a man who creates a creature out of dead body parts of humans. Although this monster was meant for good purposes, it eventually leads to destruction including multiple murders. However, Victor Frankenstein can actually be determined as a hero by the ways in which he fits within the interpretation of an epic hero. Gregory Nagy describes these traits when he writes: “The words ‘epic’ and ‘hero’ both defy generalization, let alone universalizing definitions.

submarine. This was invented by John Holland, an Irish American, he then sold it to the US Navy. The first submarine was the USS Holland in 1900. Holland’s invention included it to run on a gasoline internal combustion engine on the surface and electric batteries and motor under the water. The final example is the Model T Ford. The Model T was the first mass

John Muir was a farmer, inventor, sheepherder, explorer, and writer. Without him lots of places we love, like Yosemite and many more, would not be here today. John Muir was born was born on April 21st in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland. He was the third of his parents eight children. John’s father was religious and very harsh. He forced John and his siblings to work in the fields. Their father also did not let them read books at a young age, so he found a way. He was interested in inventing, so he built a bed that would tilt at a steep angle causing him to slip out of bed. This was one of John’s earliest inventions. His family moved to America when he was about eleven.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner are two story lines created in a different era, Frankenstein being an early published novel on the creation of an experimental monster that longs to have a normal existence whilst Blade Runner is a more modern take to a future society where there have been genetically engineered robots named ‘replicas’ that are in appearance indistinguishable from human beings which choose to escape to the planet earth in search of extending their life spans.

During the Enlightenment their were a lot of great scientists who contributed to scientific advancements and made scientific history. One of the greatest was Isaac Newton who discovered the law of gravity by using natural laws of the physical world. The intellectuals thought they could discover the natural laws that govern human society by following the technique that Isaac Newton used to discover the law of gravity. Another great scientist was John Locke, whose ideas influenced and inspired other scientists that shaped America like Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson. His ideas were based on that  people were molded by the experiences that came to them through their senses of the surrounding world.

Victor Frankenstein is a man of science, a man of God, and these convictions lead him to experience fear beyond measure. The world of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein showcases this horror beautifully through the use of Victor and his creation in the exhibition of religiosity and scientific obsession to reveal that not only is life beautiful but it is indeed terrifying and one must tread the path of Godhood carefully, lest he or she succumb to his or her own ironic demise.

In her novel Frankenstein, Mary Shelley is trying to convey the message that science and technology can be dangerous in the wrong hands. She affirms this idea through the character of Victor, a cautionary tale, but dispels the idea that all pursuit of knowledge is bad through more traditionally romantic characters such as Henry Clerval. Shelley is complicit in her understanding that curiosity and experimentation are unbreakably tied to the human condition, and tries to warn the world of the evil that can come from this. However, the effects of the interpretation of this book can vary: it is an exemplary cautionary tale, and a much needed reminder of ethics in an increasingly technology-dependent world, but one could easily take these warnings too far and use her novel as a means to quell innovation or incite censorship. In a world of technology that would be unbelievable to Shelley, her work still remains relevant, notably in the field of genetic engineering. Frankenstein raises important questions about ethics, responsibility and censorship, and is applicable to modern technological issues such as genetic engineering.

Albert Einstein is considered the most influential physicist of the 20th century. He is known for developing the theories of relativity. He is also noted for his mathematical formula of E = mc² (David Bodanis). Although he was not directly involved in the Manhattan Project, which was responsible for creating the atomic bomb, but he is still considered the mastermind because of his breakthrough formula. In 1921, he won the Nobel Prize for physics for his explanation of the photoelectric effect (A. Calaprice & T. Lipscombe).