【英语时差8,16】“科幻小说之父”-儒勒·凡尔纳（下）

Jules Verne also wanted to challenge people to think about new things that science could bring them. His stories were full of fantastic machines, but they were always things that could–in principle–be constructed. Because of this combination of knowledge and imagination, he was able to anticipate many things that now actually exist. For example, you may know that in his novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea,” Verne imagined an enclosed boat that could travel underwater–what we now call a submarine. But did you know that onboard his submarine he put another imaginary device, the electric stove? Or that he was one of the first to suggest putting people inside a giant bullet and firing it at the moon? That’s not quite how we got there, but the principle is much the same. Good science fiction is both fun to read, and can lead to real science. Way to go, Jules!