Scholarship on Darwinism 

Scholars assess an essential inspiration behind the construction of the natural world in Verne’s novel, this being On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin ( Unwin 16). The book was revolutionary as it contested popular ideas of divine creation. Darwin's notions of natural selection paved the way for further scientific awareness of the natural Earth (Orr 767). Both Irvine and Unwin agree that Verne found inspiration behind the concept of evolution vs. creationism, furthering a discussion among readers of the novel about the validity of the science mixed with the fantasy elements. The public was curious as to what Verne was implying with his book. Is this a fantasy tale about lost explorers or a direct stab at the religious community's response to Darwinism? 

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Here is a video about the impact of Darwinism on modern thinking: https://youtu.be/HzLkvoj5TTc. 

Orr, Allen. “Darwin and Darwinism: the (alleged) social implications of the origin of species.” Genetics vol. 183 (2009): pp. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2778974/. Accessed 28 October 2022. 

Unwin, Timothy. “Jules Verne: Negotiating Change in the Nineteenth Century.” Science Fiction Studies, vol. 32, no. 1, 2012, pp. 5–17. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4241318.  Accessed 28 Oct. 2022.