Genre

Science Fiction

Jules Verne and H. G. Wells wrote most of the foundational texts of science fiction decades before the label was coined in the 1920s. Verne's books are travel adventures built on contemporary engineering; Wells' are short, pointed thought experiments about society.

Where to start: The Time Machine (under 40,000 words) is the quickest way in. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea is the longest and most descriptive.