I went through a couple of science fiction reading frenzies in my life. The first came when I discovered Robert A. Heinlein at the library. I read everything they had. The second happened years later while I was living in Tokyo. Kinokuniya was a massive bookstore that seemed to have everything—including hundreds of early science fiction titles. With two hours on the train each day, I had plenty of reading time.
During that first phase I became acquainted with the pulp adventures of Edgar Rice Burroughs. His stories often follow similar plotlines, just with different settings. Most people are familiar with his Tarzan series. I had seen too many of the Johnny Weissmuller film versions playing on television every week, so I skipped those novels entirely. Instead, I read the Barsoom series—better known as the adventures of John Carter—and what I think of as the Pellucidar series.
Pellucidar is a world located roughly five hundred miles beneath the Earth’s crust. In this hidden realm, ape-like creatures rule, and access for surface dwellers comes through a massive drilling machine called an “iron mole.” The first book in the series, At the Earth’s Core, introduced this strange subterranean world.
When I first read the book at around twelve or thirteen, I was completely captivated by the adventure. Burroughs created a vivid and imaginative setting that was easy for a young reader to get lost in. When I returned to the book years later during my second reading frenzy, I noticed something different. The writing wasn’t particularly sophisticated, and the plot structure felt very similar to the adventures of John Carter—and, by extension, even Tarzan.
A few years ago my children bought me a combined edition of several Pellucidar novels. I tried reading them aloud with family members and quickly realized that some of the storytelling felt a bit embarrassing by modern standards.
So what do I think of At the Earth’s Core today? It’s still a fun read for people who enjoy devouring large quantities of classic science fiction. The story is full of adventure and imaginative world-building, and it certainly inspired some creative ideas of my own when I was in high school.
Great fun—just not great literature.
Burroughs was clearly drawing on earlier works such as Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. At the same time, his ideas went on to influence many later stories and films. You can see echoes of it in everything from Planet of the Apes to The Core.