Hollow Earth : The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advancedd Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines below the Earth's Surface

by Standish, David

• ISBN13: 9780306813733
• ISBN10: 0306813734
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-07-10
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Beliefs in mysterious underworlds are as old as humanity. But the idea that the earth has a hollow interior was first proposed as a scientific theory in 1691 by Sir Edmond Halley (of comet fame), who also suggested there might be life down there as well. Hollow Earth traces the surprising, marvelous, and just plain weird permutations this idea has taken over the centuries. From science fiction to utopian societies and even religions, Hollow Earth travels through centuries and cultures, exploring how each era's relationship to the idea of a hollow earth mirrored its hopes, fears, and values. Illustrated with everything from seventeenth-century maps to 1950s pulp art to movie posters and more, Hollow Earth is for anyone interested in the history of curious notions that just won't go away. Book jacket.

Author Biography

David Standish is the author of The Art of Money and has written for Smithsonian, Audubon, Esquire, Outside, Travel & Leisure, Playboy, and Chicago magazine. He lives in Chicago.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	9	(2)
Introduction	11	(4)
Hollow Science	15	(24)
Symmes' Holes	39	(48)
Polar Gothic: Reynolds and Poe	87	(22)
Jules Verne: A Journey to the Center of Geology	109	(34)
Cyrus Teed and Koreshanity	143	(44)
Hollow Utopias, Romances, and a Little Kiddie Lit	187	(54)
Edgar Rice Burroughs at the Earth's Core	241	(26)
The Hollow Earth Lives: Evil Nazis, Flying Saucers, Superman, New Age Utopias	267	(23)
Bibliography	290	(8)
Index	298