by Jules Verne
That kind of book says something remarkable, something honest, something fundamentally human. Through whatever vehicle—a character, a relationship, a place, a feeling, a dilemma, a moment, or an idea—such a book takes on a life of its own. It becomes immortal.
Books of that quality are, in some elemental way, true. But this kind of truth has nothing to do with whether the book is called fiction or non-fiction. Nor does it depend on the genre, the number of footnotes, or the choice of language. Rather, it depends on whether the book speaks believably to human experience, whether it brings to life some of our most basic yearnings and hopes and fears, whether it has won the trust of intelligent and open-hearted readers.
For me, then, a book that lasts through time is a book that is true. True in the sense that I believe in it completely. True in the sense that I welcome it into the library of my soul.
—T. A. Barron
T. A. Barron is the author of Heartlight, The Ancient One, and The Merlin Effect, all published in paperback by Tor Books.
Notes
1 Member of the whale family.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA
All new material in this edition is copyright © 1995 by Thomas A. Barron.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.
Cover art by Matt Stawicki
A Tor Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
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Tor® is a registered trademark of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC.
eISBN 9781466803534
First eBook Edition : October 2011
EAN 978-0812-55092-4
First edition: October 1995
