In the history of Italian literature, the writer Emilio Salgari (1862-1910) is considered to be the creator of adventure novels and a great forerunner of science fiction literature. He is among the top 40 most translated Italian authors of all time. Like the books of his masters – Jules Vernes and Karl May, Emilio Salgari's novels were the basis of more than 40 screen adaptations, some of them bearing the signature of famous Italian directors.
