forget, forgive and enjoy our passion

[quentin skrabec]

It's sad to lose any members- I feel so bad for John, Bill, Alex and all- you all have a passion for Verne. I think the group as a whole must take an internal look at what we are about. The forum has always been very helpful to me but I had a very bad experience with Vernina. Still, we must find a way to work as friends, collaborators, forget, and forgive.  We all, including myself, must try to accept each other.  Feelings can become reality unless unless we take the time to pray and accept our shortcommings.

I have always felt I was an outsider. And I could be totally wrong but my feeling is real that there is a type of “in” group. Accusations of using AI still hurt me very deeply ( I need to work on that pain) – Vernia needs to define its purpose; actual reviews like “ I agree with you  (the other reviewer)  I didn’t read the article but I my antennas suggested AI”  - I mean really- this is a review?  I am fortunate in that I have written for 40 years for numerous professional engineering, science, and history journals, and have published books on technology, giving me an outlet for many of my writings in interdisciplinary journals. However, as Verne lovers, we always want to write for those who share our passion for Verne.

We join NASJV to follow our love and passions. It should be fun and something we look forward to being in.

There are internal issues I think need to be addressed- these come as an outsider

I believe we need some online live chats to write a mission statement  

1.      The organization lacks a cooperative and fraternal approach- maybe there should be more co-authoring and joint research. I'm sorry, but you can’t help but feel there is an informal control group. A new member can’t help but feel he has tickets for the peanut gallery.

2.      We should help buy members' books, encouraging, congratulating, -- honors and prestige can be found as a group. Indeed, we are fortunate to have many accomplished members and scholars.

We have different skills – with all the translators, more of Verne’s letters and others should be translated to allow more research for those of us in North America who don’t speak French. Engineers and scientists like myself should help others with that expertise. This includes hobbyists, collectors, and thrill seekers  

3.      We are a small group – The newsletter over my 20 years has always been great – but, and I could be wrong, but I get the feeling recently there is some form of informal group at work. ___ I mean this not as a criticism of the work published but many wonder who makes some decisions- PLEASE PLESAE don’t take this the wrong way – for years the newsletter has been running a Verne like a book serial ( and that’s ok – except we should we publish it as a book for members to purchase) – it leads to an outsider ask who decided to run a decade long series- and is this available to other writers,  shouldn’t there be more availability, openness about such decisions – again the story is great- I have actually send a letter congratulating the author. Still most don’t want non-Verne story to run as a serial. And of course Dennis did an outstanding job creating an outlet for those Verne-like writers in book form. I submitted two stories even though its not my field- But here i got two very respectful and professional rejections- Dennis showed me the stories where not my forte while allowing me to feel good and know I should stick to technology literature.

4.       Perhaps we could develop small grants to help members get their work published as a book or a collection of articles or go to a monthly digital newsletter.

5.      Verneria probably needs to look at its mission – we are too small to run it as “Journal”—it should be more open to allow all members to have a chance to have access to write. It should be idea-driven – again, if you demand “original archival research,” only translators or those in France can participate. When you are dealing with such a specific topic, it requires more secondary research, which is not only valid but is high scholarship in its own right. If you're going to run it as “peer reviewed,” you can’t be using the same group of reviewers. It would be best for working editors to develop rather than review.

6.      As a group, we need to create many ways for members to have writing outlets for their ideas,- a digital outlet could replace Verinana.

 

While that’s enough overview, here are some positive suggestions to build our organization.

1.      Forget, forgive and look to improve our group

2.      Consider a mission statement development video confidence. Are we a fraternal or professional society? How can we help each other participate in the study of Verne? Was is the purpose of our types of interactions? How can we make members achieve their interests in studying Verne?

3.      Consider monthly or quarterly video meetings

4.      Digital monthly newsletter maybe a blog

5.      The video research discussion video forums to help others ' projects

6.      Foster joint member projects

7.      Ask John to remain in the group- losing a member says more about the group than the individuals

8.      Criticism should be banned – only helpful suggestions.

[John Lamb]

dear Quentin,

I agree I will reign it in and apologise unreservedly to anyone I have offended (including Bill and Alex). 

best John

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[Ariel Pérez Rodríguez]

Hi Quentin,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts so openly. I completely understand your concerns, and I agree that maintaining an atmosphere of friendship, cooperation, and mutual respect is essential for all of us who share the same passion for Jules Verne.

That said, I think it’s important to distinguish between Verniana and this discussion forum, as they are two very different entities — even if some people involved in the forum are also part of the Verniana editorial committee.

Verniana is a peer-reviewed academic publication, founded in 2008. Over the past 17 years, it has published 12 volumes. From the beginning, it was conceived as a journal where submitted articles are reviewed anonymously by the editorial board — reviewers never know the author’s identity. This process ensures neutrality and academic integrity.

This Google discussion forum, on the other hand, was created in 2021 by Garmt de Vries, who invited me to be one of its administrators. The purpose of this forum is completely different: it’s meant as an informal space for exchange and discussion among Verne enthusiasts — a kind of “email chat,” inspired by the original online forum founded in 1996 by Zvi Har-El, which remained active until 2012, even after Zvi’s passing. The idea here was to revive that early community spirit and make it easy for Vernians worldwide to interact freely.

Then there are the national Verne societies, such as NAJVS (North American Jules Verne Society). Similar organizations exist for other languages and regions — for example, the Hispanic Jules Verne Society for Spanish publications, or the Jules-Verne-Club in Germany for works in German, or the Jules Verne Genootschap for Dutch, among others. Articles written in English can of course be shared or published through the NAJVS newsletter or journal, while those in other languages have their respective outlets.

Your idea of live video meetings or virtual encounters is indeed very good. In fact, our Spanish-language society has already been organizing such meetings, both in Spanish and in French, and it has worked very well to keep members connected and engaged.

@John Lamb
If I understood correctly, you are British. I truly believe you could consider founding a Jules Verne Society in the United Kingdom — something that’s still missing and for which there could be genuine interest among some members. Your own publications and exchanges with other British Vernians could find an ideal home through such an association.

Regards,
Ariel

[quentin skrabec]

I must admit confusion between entities because leadership editors, reviwers etc are shared is are shared shared. Thanks for the clear initial  history 

"Verniana is a peer-reviewed academic publication, founded in 2008.  From the beginning, it was conceived as a journal where submitted articles are reviewed anonymously by the editorial board — reviewers never know the author’s identity. This process ensures neutrality and academic integrity."

The problem here that I suggest be addressed may be too few reviewers- I assure you in my case, I noted the reviewers knew it was me - but more I have the written reviews, that at least two were talking to each other, as the quote shows and reviewer stated he didn't read the paper- the AI accusation was un professional and  libel in such a small group such an accusation gets around,  and hurtful  BUT I NEED TO FORGET AND FORGIVe -however you can see the hurt ran deep.

---

From: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com <jules-ve...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Ariel Pérez Rodríguez <ari...@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2025 7:15 PM
To: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com <jules-ve...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [JVF] forget, forgive and enjoy our passion

 

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[John Lamb]

Dear Ariel,

thanks for your email. 

I will consider forming a United Kingdom Jules Verne Society, it is a great idea. Anyone over 60 remembers the 1959 and 1961 film versions and I relate to these in all my talks. I have been growing this outwards in my talks in the Liverpool area but have also tried to work 'outwards in' hence my reaching out via my article in the International Review of Science Fiction and to this forum.

I do of course have the option of trying to post articles re Verne in other science fiction journals and it now looks more likely American Civil War Journals with a perhaps 75% split between Semmes and Verne. These are all options open to me and I honestly think a 90% Semmes 10% Verne at the end, (sadly initially as titillation), will get lapped up. This is a pity though as I was hoping  to go through a Verne route rather than an American Civil War route. 

I will continue to post though. I have three short posts in the pipeline.

First is can we identify a  'mutant gene' that Verne carried?  When you identify what can only be termed as a ‘mutant gene’ in an organism it can give you an insight into how that organism evolves over time, how it becomes ‘better’ than other organisms over time and also delve into the workings behind that organism, its weaknesses and it strengths. Verne is tht organism.

Second an elaboration of William Butcher's theory that Verne is using literal things such as birds in the open air as fish in his description of Atlantis in 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas and how it could work using my own made up example to  expand an author's powers in writing in the style of Jules Verne...something Quentin said he tried to do.

Third ...a worked example actually used by Verne, the literal objects  literal appearence and how Verne himself turns aspects of that object it into a metaphorical template to drive a storyline. 

So plenty to come from me, hopefully in a new era of forgetting and forgiving that Quentin mentioned after all I believe that is the whole premise behind Verne's Mysterious Island. ...forgive move on and persuu happiness. 

Thanks again for your ideas, I will do my best to act upon them .

Best John

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[Ariel Pérez Rodríguez]

John,

I will consider forming a United Kingdom Jules Verne Society, it is a great idea. Anyone over 60 remembers the 1959 and 1961 film versions and I relate to these in all my talks. I have been growing this outwards in my talks in the Liverpool area but have also tried to work 'outwards in' hence my reaching out via my article in the International Review of Science Fiction and to this forum.

Yes, there actually was once a Jules Verne Society in the U.K., although it didn’t last very long. It even had a journal at the time, and I believe only a couple of issues were published before the group dissolved — that was the first attempt.

More recently, Harry Hayfield, who I believe is still a member of this forum, tried to gather support to re-establish a British Verne Society, but unfortunately he didn’t receive much response.

I think it would be wonderful if the British members currently on this list could talk among themselves and see how they might formally start a new Jules Verne Society in the U.K., ideally with its own journal as part of the project.

That would fill an important gap in the international Verne community. 

Best,

Ariel

[d...@epguides.com]

Quentin,

 

Please do not confuse the NAJVS with this mailing list, which is an entity unto itself.  Verniana is also an entity unto itself.  There are people in this mailing who are also involved with the NAJVS and Verniana, but what they do here (JVF) and there (Verniana) does not necessarily reflect what the NAJVS is trying to do.

 

-djk

Dennis Kytasaari  d...@epguides.com  https://epguides.com/

                                  https://epguides.com/djk/

Jules Verne- "Mobilis in Mobile"     http://najvs.org/

President and Membership Coordinator  na...@ibiblio.org

 North American Jules Verne Society, Inc.

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[d...@epguides.com]

Ariel,

 

Harry would have still been a member of this forum, but his Facebook page indicates that he passed from pancreatic cancer in Dec 2024.

 

-djk

Dennis Kytasaari  d...@epguides.com  https://epguides.com/

                                  https://epguides.com/djk/

Jules Verne- "Mobilis in Mobile"     http://najvs.org/

President and Membership Coordinator  na...@ibiblio.org

 North American Jules Verne Society, Inc.

 

 

 

From: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com <jules-ve...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Ariel Pérez Rodríguez
Sent: Monday, November 3, 2025 7:49 PM
To: jules-ve...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [JVF] forget, forgive and enjoy our passion

 

John,

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[Ariel Pérez Rodríguez]

Oh, I didn’t know that!

We were talking last year about the idea of a Jules Verne Society in the U.K.

It’s sad — we’ve lost a true Vernian enthusiast.