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Quick answer: If you loved Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, try Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, The Lost World, At the Earth's Core, The Time Machine, The First Men in the Moon and Jurassic Park. They share the thrill of an expedition into the unknown.
Verne's 1864 novel sends Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel and their guide Hans down an Icelandic volcano to find a lost world beneath the Earth. It is a story of science, danger and wonder. Readers who finish it often want more expeditions, strange worlds and classic science fiction. These 15 books deliver that spirit, from Verne's own adventures to modern thrillers.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea | Jules Verne | Adult | more Verne |
| From the Earth to the Moon | Jules Verne | Adult | readers who like early space stories |
| The Mysterious Island | Jules Verne | Adult | readers who like survival |
| Five Weeks in a Balloon | Jules Verne | Adult | readers who like travel adventure |
| The Lost World | Arthur Conan Doyle | Adult | readers who like dinosaurs |
| At the Earth's Core | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Adult | readers who want pure adventure |
| The Land That Time Forgot | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Adult | readers who like lost worlds |
| The Time Machine | H.G. Wells | Adult | readers who like ideas |
| The First Men in the Moon | H.G. Wells | Adult | readers who like early sci-fi |
| The War of the Worlds | H.G. Wells | Adult | readers who like invasion stories |
| Jurassic Park | Michael Crichton | Adult | readers who want a modern version |
| King Solomon's Mines | H. Rider Haggard | Adult | readers who like treasure hunts |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | Adult | readers who want a classic |
| The Andromeda Strain | Michael Crichton | Adult | readers who like science thrillers |
| Underland | Robert Macfarlane | Adult | readers who want the real thing |
1. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Professor Aronnax joins Captain Nemo aboard the submarine Nautilus. The most famous Verne after this one.
Best for: more Verne.
2. From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
Members of a gun club build a giant cannon to launch a projectile to the Moon. Clever and funny.
Best for: readers who like early space stories.
3. The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne
Five castaways escape a Civil War prison by balloon and build a life on a remote island. A big castaway tale.
Best for: readers who like survival.
4. Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne
Dr. Fergusson and his friends cross Africa by balloon. Verne's first novel and a fast read.
Best for: readers who like travel adventure.
5. The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle
Professor Challenger leads an expedition to a plateau in South America where dinosaurs still live. The model for many dinosaur adventures.
Best for: readers who like dinosaurs.
6. At the Earth's Core by Edgar Rice Burroughs
A mining machine takes two men into a prehistoric world below the surface. Pulpy and fast.
Best for: readers who want pure adventure.
7. The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Survivors of a submarine battle reach an island of dinosaurs and cavemen. Quick and thrilling.
Best for: readers who like lost worlds.
8. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells
A scientist travels to the far future and finds humanity split in two. Short, clear and thoughtful.
Best for: readers who like ideas.
9. The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells
Two men travel to the Moon in a ship made of an anti-gravity material and meet the Selenites. Witty and strange.
Best for: readers who like early sci-fi.
10. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
Martians invade England in Wells's classic alien invasion novel. Tense and still shocking.
Best for: readers who like invasion stories.
11. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
A theme park with cloned dinosaurs goes wrong. A modern thriller with the same spirit of discovery and danger.
Best for: readers who want a modern version.
12. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Allan Quatermain leads a search for treasure in Africa. A foundational adventure, with outdated attitudes.
Best for: readers who like treasure hunts.
13. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Jim Hawkins finds a map and sails with pirates. The great adventure story.
Best for: readers who want a classic.
14. The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
Scientists race to contain a deadly alien microbe. Taut and clinical.
Best for: readers who like science thrillers.
15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane
A nonfiction journey into caves, mines and tunnels beneath the Earth. Lyrical and eerie.
Best for: readers who want the real thing.
How to Choose
For more Verne, read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea or The Mysterious Island. For dinosaurs and lost worlds, begin with The Lost World or Jurassic Park. For early science fiction, try Wells. For real exploration of the underground, read Underland. Some Victorian adventures include outdated views of people from other cultures, so read critically.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Journey to the Centre of the Earth good for kids?
Yes. Many modern translations are readable for ages 10 and up, though some older ones are stiff.
Which translation should I read?
Look for a recent translation, such as the Penguin Classics one by William Butcher, which keeps the science and humor.
Is the science accurate?
No. Verne used the science of his time, but the Earth is not hollow.
What is the book's UK title?
It is often called Journey to the Centre of the Earth; the US edition uses Center.