Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizatio

by David Standish

  It goes on like this. Apparently it was premature of me to think hollow earth utopias were dead.

  So the old hollow earth is still with us.

  And why not? It’s been an appealing dream for centuries.

  And … uh, wait a minute. I’m just getting an incoming message from one of the fillings in my teeth. Um … yes, unhuh, no kidding? That was Yzxrnth, my own personal channeler from—well, I’d better not say. The CIA will be after me. He finally got through all the static from my computer. He just gave me the true scoop on the hollow earth. Those dreary scientists do have it wrong. And Symmes was almost right. The earth is hollow, and there’s an opening—but it’s not at the poles. It’s on a lovely uninhabited island in the Pacific, and Yzxrnth has given me the specific coordinates.

  Gotta run. Time to hit the lecture circuit, petition Congress, and begin raising money for The Dave Expedition To The Hollow Earth.

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Primary Sources

  Adams, Jack [Alcanoan O. Grigsby and Mary P. Lowe]. Nequa; or, The Problem of the Ages. Topeka, KS: Equity, 1900.

  Aikin, Charles. Forty Years with the Damned; or, Life Inside the Earth. Chicago: Regan Printing House, 1895.

  Anonymous. Relation d’un voyage du pole arctique au pole antarctique par le center du monde. Paris: Pissot, 1723.

  ———. A Voyage to the World in the Centre of the Earth, Giving an Account of the Manners, Customs, Laws, Government & Religion of the Inhabitants, their Persons & Habits Described, with several other particulars: In which is introduced the History of an Inhabitant of the Air, written by Himself, with some account of the planetary worlds. London: Crowder & Woodgate, 1755; London: Fisher and Hurst, 1802.

  Arnold, Kenneth, and Ray Palmer. The Coming of the Saucers. Boise, ID; Amherst, WI: Privately published by the authors, 1952.

  Atkins, Rev. E. C. [pseud.]. “My Bride from Another World: A Weird Romance Recounting Many Strange Adventures in an Unknown World” in Physical Culture, June 1904.

  Baum, L. Frank. Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. Chicago: Reilly and Lee Co., 1908.

  Beale, Charles Willing. The Secret of the Earth. New York: Neely, 1899; New York: Arno Press, 1975.

  Bell, George W. Mr. Oseba’s Last Discovery. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Times, 1904.

  Bennet, Robert Ames. Thyra, A Romance of the Polar Pit. New York: Holt, 1901; New York: Arno, 1978.

  Bernard, Dr. R. W. [Walter Seigmeister]. The Hollow Earth, the greatest geographical discovery in history made by Admiral Richard E. Byrd in the mysterious land beyond the poles—the true origin of the flying saucers. New York: Fieldcrest Publishing Co., 1964.

  Bradshaw, William Richard. The Goddess of Atvatabar: Being the History of the Discovery of the Interior World & Conquest of Atvatabar. Introduction by Julian Hawthorne. New York: Douthitt, 1892; New York: Arno, 1975.

  Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. The Coming Race. London: Blackwood, 1871; New York: Francis Felt, 1871.

  Burnet, Thomas. Archaeologie Philosophicae: sive Doctrina antiqua de rerum originibus. London: Kettilby, 1692.

  ———. The Sacred Theory of the Earth. London: 1684.

  Burroughs, Edgar Rice. At the Earth’s Core. Chicago: McClurg, 1922; originally serialized in All Story Weekly, April 4–14, 1914.

  ———. Back to the Stone Age. Tarzana: Burroughs, 1937; originally serialized in Argosy, January 9 through February 13, 1937, as “Seven Worlds to Conquer.”

  ———. Land of Terror. Tarzana: Burroughs, 1944.

  ———. Pellucidar. Chicago: McClurg, 1923; originally serialized in All-Story Cavalier, May 1-29, 1915.

  ———. Savage Pellucidar. New York: Canaveral Press, 1963. Made up of four connected novellas first published in Amazing Stories: “The Return to Pellucidar” (February 1942); “Men of the Bronze Age” (March 1942); “Tiger Girl” (April 1942); and “Savage Pellucidar” (November 1963, though written in 1944).

  ———. Tanar of Pellucidar. New York: Metropolitan, 1930; originally serialized in Blue Book, March through August 1929.

  ———. Tarzan at the Earth’s Core. New York: Metropolitan, 1930; originally serialized in Blue Book, September 1929 through March 1930.

  Casanova, Jacques. Icosameron. Prague: 1788; Translated by Rachel Zurer. New York: Jenna Press, 1986.

  DeMille, James. A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder. New York: Harper, 1888.

  DeMorgan, John. Under the World. New York: Street & Smith, 1906; previously serialized in Golden Hours, July 7 through September 8, 1894, as “Into the Maelstrom.”

  De Plancy, Jacques-Auguste-Simon Collin. Le voyage au centre de la terre, ou Aventures diverses de Clairancy et de ses compagnons dans le Sptizberg. Paris: Caillot, 1821.

  De Tarde, Gabriel. Underground Man. Translated by Cloudesley Brereton. Introduction by H. G. Wells. London: Duckworth, 1905; Westport, CT: Hyperion Press, 1974.

  Dumas, Alexandre. Isaac Laquédem. Paris: 1852–1853.

  Emerson, Willis George. The Smoky God; or, A Voyage to the Inner World. Chicago: Forbes, 1908.

  Fairman, Henry Clay. The Third World, A Tale of Love & Strange Adventure. Atlanta: Third World, 1895; New York: Trans-Atlantic Publishing Company, 1896.

  Fawcett, Edward Douglas. Swallowed by an Earthquake. London: Arnold, 1894.

  Fezandie, Clement. Through the Earth. New York: Century Co., 1898.

  Gardner, Marshall B. A Journey to the Earth’s Interior; or, Have the Poles Really Been Discovered? Aurora, IL: published by the author, 1913; revised, 1920.

  Halley, Edmond. “An account of the cause of the change of the variation of the magnetick needle, with an hypothesis of the structure of the internal parts of the Earth.” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 17:195 (1692): 563-78.

  Harben, Will(iam) N(athaniel). The Land of the Changing Sun. New York: Merriam, 1894.

  Hodder, William Reginald. The Daughter of the Dawn. London: Jarrolds, 1903.

  Holberg, Ludvig. A Journey to the World Under-Ground by Nicholas Klimius. Translator unknown. London: Astley and Collins, 1742.

  Jackson, Frank D., and Mary Everts Daniels. Koreshan Unity. Communistic and Co-operative Gathering of the People. Chicago: Guiding Star Publishing House, 1895.

  Lane, Mary E. Bradley. Mizora, A Prophesy. New York: Dillingham, 1890; edited by Jean Pfaelzer. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press, 2000.

  Lloyd, John Uri. Etidorhpa; or, The End of the Earth. The Strange History of a Mysterious Being & the Account of a Remarkable Journey. Cincinnati: Lloyd, 1896; Cincinnati: Clarke, with added material, 1896; New York: Dodd Mead, revised and enlarged, 1901.

  Lockwood, Ingersoll. Baron Trump’s Marvellous Underground Journey. Boston: Lee and Shephard, 1893.

  Lupoff, Richard A. Circumpolar! New York: Timescape Books, 1984.

  Lyon, William F. The Hollow Globe; or, The world’s agitator and reconciler. A treatise on the physical conformation of the earth. Presented through the organism of M. L. Sherman, and written by Prof. Wm. F. Lyon. Chicago: Religio-Philosophical Publishing House, 1871.

  Marryat, Captain Frederick. The Pacha of Many Tales. Philadelphia: Cary and Hart, 1834.

  Marshall, Archibald. Upsidonia. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1915.

  Mather, Cotton. The Christian Philosopher. Boston: 1721.

  ———. Curiosa Americana. Boston: 1712–24.

  [McBride, James]. Symmes’s theory of concentric spheres; demonstrating that the earth is hollow, habitable within, and widely open about the poles. By a citizen of the United States. Cincinnati: Morgan, Lodge and Fisher, 1826.

  McCoy, Max. Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth. New York: Bantam Books, 1997.

  McKesson, Charles L. Under Pike’s Peak; or Mahalma, Child of the Fire Father. New York: Neely, 1898.

  Miller, William Amos. The Soverign Guide: A Tale of Eden. Los Angeles: George Rice, 1898.

  Moore, M. Louise, and M. Beauchamp. Al-Modad; or Life Scenes Beyond the Polar Circumlfex. A Religio-Scientific
Solution of the Problems of Present and Future Life. Shell Bank, LA: M. L. Moore and M. Beauchamp, 1892.

  Mouhy, Charles de Fieux, Chevalier de. Lamekis, ou les Voyages extraordinaires d’un Egyptien dans la terre intérieure avec la découverte de le îsle des Silphides. Paris: L. Dupuis, 1734.

  [Paltock, Robert]. The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins A Cornish Man: Relating particularly, His Shipwreck near the South Pole; his wonderful Passage thro’ a subterraneous Cavern into a kind of new World; his there meeting with a Gawry or flying woman, whose life he preserv’d, and afterwards married her; his extraordinary Conveyance to the Country of Glums and Gawrys, or Men and Woman that fly. Likewise a Description of this strange Country, with the Laws, Customs, and Manners of its Inhabitants, and the Author’s remarkable Transactions among them. Taken from his own Mouth, in his Passage to England from off Cape Horn in America, in the ship Hector. With an INTRODUCTION, giving an Account of the surprizing Manner of his coming on board that Vessel, and his Death on landing at Plymouth in the Year 1739. Illustrated with several CUTS, clearly and distinctly representing the Structure and Mechanism of the Wings of the Glums and Gawrys, and the Manner in which they use them either to swim or fly. London: J. Robinson, 1751.

  Poe, Edgar Allan. “Astounding News by Express” [“The Balloon Hoax”]. The New York Sun, Extra, 13 April 1844: 1+.

  ———. “A Descent into the Maelstrom.” Graham’s Lady’s and Gentleman’s Magazine, May 1841.

  ———. “MS. Found in a Bottle.” Baltimore Saturday Visiter, 19 October 1833: 1+.

  ———. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1838.

  ———. “The Unparalelled Adventure of One Hans Pfaall.” Southern Literary Messenger, June 1835: 565–580.

  Reed, William T. The Phantom of the Poles. New York: W. S. Rockey Co., 1906.

  Regnus, C. [Charles Sanger]. The Land of Nison. London: Daniel, 1906.

  Reynolds, Jeremiah N. Remarks on a review of Symmes’ theory, which appeared in the American Quarterly Review, by a “citizen of the United States.” Washington: Gales and Seaton, 1827.

  Rockwood, Roy [Howard Garis]. Five Thousand Miles Underground, or The Mystery of the Centre of the Earth. New York: Cupples and Leon, 1908.

  Rollins, James. Subterranean! New York: Harper, 1999.

  Rucker, Rudy. The Hollow Earth. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1990.

  Scott, G[eorge] Firth. The Last Lemurian: A Westralian Romance. London: John Bowden, 1898.

  Shaver, Richard S. “I Remember Lemuria.” Amazing Stories 19:1 (March 1945): 12–70.

  ———. I Remember Lemuria [and] The Return of Sathanas. Evanston, IL: Venture, 1948.

  Shaw, William Jenkins. Cresten, Queen of the Toltus. New York: Excelsior, 1892; originally published anonymously as Under the Auroras, A Marvelous Tale of the Interior World. New York: Excelsior Publishing House, 1888.

  Sherman, M. L. The Hollow Globe; or, The world’s agitator and reconciler. A treatise on the physical conformation of the earth. Presented through the organism of M. L. Sherman, M.D., and written by Prof. Wm. F. Lyon. Chicago: Religio-Philosophical Publishing House, 1871.

  Symmes, Americus. The Symmes Theory of Concentric Spheres, demonstrating that the earth is hollow, habitable within, and widely open about the poles. Compiled by Americus Symmes from the writings of his father, Capt. John Cleves Symmes, 2ND ed. Louisville, KY: Bradley and Gilbert, 1878.

  [Symmes, John Cleves] Seaborn, Adam. Symzonia, A Voyage of Discovery. New York: Seymour, 1820; New York: Arno, 1975.

  Symmes, John Cleves. [“Purple Martins”] National Intelligencer, September 15, 1820.

  Taylor, William Alexander. Intermere. Columbus, OH: XX. Century Publishing Co., 1901–1902.

  [Teed, Cyrus R.], and Ulysses G. Morrow. The Cellular Cosmogony; or, The Earth a Concave Sphere. Part 1: “The universology of Koreshanity,” by Koresh [pseud.]; Part 2: “The new geodesy,” by Professor U. G. Morrow. Chicago: Guiding Star Publishing House, 1899 [C1898]; 1905; edited by Robert S. Fogarty. Philadelphia: Porcupine Press, 1975.

  [Teed, Cyrus R.]. The Illumination of Koresh: Marvelous Experiences of the Great Alchemist Thirty Years Ago, at Utica, N.Y. Chicago: Guiding Star Publishing House, ca. 1900.

  [Teed, Cyrus R.] Chester, Lord. The Great Red Dragon, or, The Flaming Devil of the Orient. Estero, FL: Guiding Star Publishing House, 1908.

  Thoreau, Henry David. Walden; or, Life in the Woods. Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854.

  Thorpe, Fred. Through the Earth; or, Jack Nelson’s Invention. New York: Street and Smith. Serialized in Golden Hours, June 5 through August 7, 1897, as “In the World Below; or, Three Boys in the Center of the Earth.”

  Tower, Washington L. Interior World, A Romance Illustrating a New Hypothesis of Terrestrial Organization &c. Oakland, OR: Milton H. Tower, 1885.

  Verne, Jules. An Antarctic Mystery (Le Sphinx des Glaces). Translated by Mrs. Cashel Hoey. Boston: Gregg Press, 1975.

  ———. Journey to the Center of the Earth. Translated by Robert Baldick. London: Penguin Books, 1965.

  Welcome, S. Byron. From Earth’s Center, A Polar Gateway Message. Chicago: Kerr, 1894.

  Wells, H. G. The Time Machine, An Invention. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1895.

  Winthrop, Park. The Land of the Central Sun. Serialized in Argosy, July 1902 through January 1903.

  Wood, Mrs. J. [pseud.]. Pantaletta: A Romance of Hesheland. New York: American News Co., 1882.

  Secondary Sources

  Adams, Henry. The History of the United States of America During the Administrations of Jefferson and Madison. New York: Charles Scribners’ Sons, 1889–91.

  Aldiss, Brian W. Billion Year Spree: The True History of Science Fiction. New York: Doubleday, 1973.

  Allen, Hervey. Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: George H. Doran, 1926.

  Almy, Robert F. “J. N. Reynolds: A Brief Biography with Particular Reference to Poe and Symmes,” Colophon 2 (1937): 227–245.

  Anonymous. “Peter Wilkins.” Monthly Review (4 December 1750): 157.

  Arndt, Karl J. R. “Koreshanity, Topolobampo, Olom-bia, and the Harmonist Millions.” Western Pennsylvania Historical Magazine 56 (January 1973): 71–86.

  Bailey, J. O. Pilgrims Through Space and Time. New York: Argus Books, 1947.

  ———. “Sources for Poe’s Arthur Gordon Pym, ‘Hans Pfaal,’ and Other Pieces.” PMLA 57 (1942): 513–535.

  Barrington, Daines. The possibility of approaching the North Pole asserted. A new edition with an appendix, containing papers on the same subject, and on a North West Passage, by Colonel Beaufroy. London: T. and J. Allman, W. H. Reid, and Baldwin, Cradock and Joy, 1818.

  Barron, Neil. Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction. New York and London: R. R. Bowker Company, 1976.

  Barrow, Sir John. A chronological history of voyages into the Arctic regions: undertaken chiefly for the purpose of discovering a north-east, north-west, or polar passage between the Atlantic and Pacific: from the earliest periods of Scandinavian navigation to the departure of the recent expeditions under the orders of captains Ross and Buchan. London: J. Murray, 1818.

  Bassan, Maurice. Hawthorne’s Son. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University Press, 1970.