Claudius Bombarnac is a reporter, tasked with writing a travelogue while aboard the Great Trans-Asiatic Railway. Hoping to spice up his story, he befriends a group of travellers, whose numbers include a stowaway and a man trying to beat the round-the-world record. However, while Bombarnac is searching for the hero of his piece, a special carriage, guarded by armed soldiers, is added to the train and things take a decidedly different turn. Fun, fast-paced, and packed with mystery and intrigue, âClaudius Bombarnacâ is one of Verneâs best-loved adventure tales. Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French novelist who became known as the âFather of Science Fiction.â He wrote more than 60 novels, including âJourney to the Center of the Earthâ (1864), âTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seaâ (1870) which was also released as a film, starring James Mason, and âAround the World in Eighty Daysâ (1873), which has been released as a TV drama, featuring former Dr Who star, David Tennant.