A hundred moments in autism - Jules Verne’s ducks

Cherry

By Terrence Oblong

Thu, 08 Aug 2024
  • 255 reads
7 comments
 

I don’t have a special interest, unlike many autists. Well, unless you count Jules Verne.

I have read all his books available in English, indeed, the reason I bought a kindle is that there were a dozen English translations of Jules Verne on kindle that weren’t available in paper form.  I have even adapted five Jules Verne stories into my own Happy Island tales.

I recently read a biography of Jules Verne. The biography stated that Jules’ cousins had both died young, drowning whilst on a duck hunt. “This may explain,” said the biography, “the frequent references to ducks in Verne’s work,”.

I was confused. I had never noticed frequent references to ducks in Verne’s work.  I searched my kindle.  There were 113 uses of the word ‘duck’ in my complete works of Jules Verne, plus an additional 33 uses of the word ‘canard’ in the dozen or so books currently unavailable in English translation.

I started re-reading the Mysterious Island, just to check out the duck references.

Now I’m re-reading Captain Grant’s Children and Around the World in 80 Days. There are no ducks in these novels, according to my kindle search, but, well, I’d better make sure.

No, I don’t really have a special interest. I just like Jules Verne, that’s all.

Certificate 15
Biography
50 moments in autism
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Ewan on

  I'm not autistic as far as I know. I put it down to 'writer's research' otherwise known as Potboiler Writer's Procrastination.

Great stuff. Demystifying and damned funny.(All of them). Well done.

Author Page at the 'Zon
 

Submitted by Terrence Oblong on

Thanks Ewan

 

Submitted by lenchenelf on

...for ducks, and Jules Verne 

smiley Best

Lx

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

There are people who go as far as to believe Jules Verne is some kind of prophet and believe the stories are true. Like some kind of sect. I also love his stories. The other one is HG Wells as more feasable and realistic.

I haven't heard of Verne's "Mysterious Island"? I only read a few of his books never knew there were many. Could recommend some? Sound there are dozens. And Douglas Adams, is it? SciFi writer.

As for Asberger's when I was young there wasn't something like that only Autism I didn't know anybody, now it appears to be not unusual at all and some people actually adapt quite well in society. Some have extrordinary abilities.

All the best! Tom

 

Submitted by Terrence Oblong on

Hi Tom

Yes, Jules Verne is mostly known for 3 books - Around the world in 80 days, 20,000 leagues under the sea and journey to the centre of the earth, but he published 54 of his voyages extroadinaires in his lifetime and another 8 posthomously, plus a few novellas, short stories and plays.  

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Loved his books, on a journey to the moon are also well known. They shot these guys up with a montrous cannon his calculations turned out suprisingly accurate. As do most of his work. There are films too, excellent!

 

Submitted by Terrence Oblong on

Yes, although the idea of a cannon is ridiculous the location of the launch in Colombia is not far from the actual launch, and Verne also anticipated the return landing into the sea