A mine that should have been mined out years ago. A series of inexplicable events. A city that suddenly appears almost at the centre of the earth. Mining engineer James Starr discovers that his former colleague Ford lives with his family in the depths of the mine. When Ford discovers a large vein of coal that remains underground, an endless stream of questions arise for both Ford and James, but one remains the biggest, and most pressing - should the secrets of the mines be uncovered, or are they best left buried? Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist. Renowned for his contributions to the adventure fiction genre, he mainly took his inspiration from the scientific advancements of the nineteenth century. His work is widely popular with both children and adults, particularly his series 'Extraordinary Travels' which included 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' (1864), the 2008 film adaption of which was wildly successful.