Jules Verne was a French novelist, playwright and poet who is most known for the novels, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Around the World in Eighty Days. Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," he composed more than 70 books and is considered the second most-translated writer of all time (between Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare). His work has not only taken several different forms, including TV, motion pictures and plays, but has also had a profound influence on many writers, scientists and inventors.