Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864, Le voyage au centre de la Terre) is an adventure science-fiction novel by the French writer Jules Verne.

Professor Otto Lidenbrock discovers an old book containing a coded runic manuscript. It describes a journey to the centre of the Earth. The Professor embarks on this journey with his nephew Axel and a guide, Hans. They descend into the depths of the Earth through the crater of a volcano, discover an underground sea, pass through geological periods, and observe the development of life in regions whose existence many scientists doubt. They witness a battle between dangerous prehistoric monsters, and their experience clashes with numerous scientific theories about the impossibility of life underground. They find a rare prehistoric burial ground that holds many ground-breaking discoveries. Their lives are endangered several times by a terrifying storm, a lack of water, and dangerous creatures. They return to the surface thanks to a volcanic eruption, which carries them back up with the flowing lava.