Journey to the Center of the Earth (Illustrated Collectors Edition) (New Translation) (53 Illustrations) (SF Classic)

Journey to the Interior of the Earth is a science fiction novel by Jules Verne. German professor Otto Lidenbrock believes volcanic tubes lead toward the Earth's center. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering prehistoric animals and natural hazards before emerging in southern Italy at the Stromboli volcano. The story begins at the Lidenbrock house in Hamburg, Germany, when Professor Lidenbrock returns home with an original runic manuscript of an Icelandic saga written by Snorri Sturluson. While examining the book, Lidenbrock and Axel discover a coded note in runic script. They transliterate the characters into Latin letters, revealing a message in what appears to be a transposition cipher. Lidenbrock locks the household inside and refuses food until he decodes it. Axel discovers the solution by accident: Lidenbrock's decipherment is correct but must be read backwards to reveal sentences in rough Latin. After two days without food, Axel reveals this to his uncle. Lidenbrock translates the note, which proves to be a medieval message from the fictional Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussemm, claiming to have discovered a passage to the Earth's center via Snæfell in Iceland. The novel features Verne's interest in cryptology, with coded messages serving as a plot device throughout.