At the Earth’s Core
What is At the Earth’s Core about?
At the Earth's Core, published in 1914, is the first novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar series. David Innes, a young Connecticut mining heir, finances an experimental mechanical subterranean prospector, the Iron Mole, invented by the eccentric Abner Perry. During its test run the machine burrows uncontrollably deep into the earth until the two men emerge in Pellucidar, a vast prehistoric world existing on the inner surface of the hollow Earth, illuminated by a central miniature sun that hangs motionless at its center, creating a land of perpetual noon with no sense of time. In Pellucidar they encounter dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers, and primitive human tribes who live under the telepathic tyranny of the Mahars, a race of intelligent flying reptiles served by their brutish Sagoth warriors. David falls in love with the beautiful Dian the Beautiful of the tribe of Amoz and resolves to liberate the human slaves from Mahar domination. At the Earth's Core launched one of Burroughs's most imaginative series, combining hollow-earth theory with dinosaur-age adventure and a vivid, timeless world where compass directions are meaningless and the horizon curves upward in every direction.
Main themes in At the Earth’s Core
Hollow-earth exploration and discovery
Hollow-earth exploration and discovery emerges as a defining element in At the Earth’s Core, shaping character development.
Freedom and revolution against tyranny
In At the Earth’s Core, freedom and revolution against tyranny provides a lens for understanding the story's core message.
Prehistoric creatures in a timeless world
The theme of prehistoric creatures in a timeless world weaves through At the Earth’s Core, adding depth to its narrative.
Science and invention as gateway to adventure
At the Earth’s Core thoughtfully explores science and invention as gateway to adventure through its central conflicts.
Why At the Earth’s Core is still relevant today
At the Earth's Core launched Burroughs's Pellucidar series and stands as one of the most vivid realizations of the hollow-earth concept in fiction. The novel draws on nineteenth-century hollow-earth theories while creating a unique inner world with no horizon and no sense of time. Its combination of dinosaurs, primitive cultures, and telepathic reptilian overlords established a template for lost-world adventure that influenced countless later works. As a public-domain classic, it is essential reading for fans of hollow-earth fiction, dinosaur adventures, and early science fiction.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is At the Earths Core about?
David Innes and inventor Abner Perry travel to Pellucidar, a prehistoric world inside the hollow Earth, using a mechanical burrowing machine. They encounter dinosaurs, primitive humans enslaved by telepathic flying reptiles called Mahars, and David leads a revolution for freedom.
What is Pellucidar?
Pellucidar is a fictional world on the inner surface of a hollow Earth, illuminated by a stationary central sun. It has no night, no sense of time, and is populated by prehistoric creatures and primitive human tribes.
Who are the Mahars?
The Mahars are intelligent flying reptiles who rule Pellucidar through telepathic powers and their Sagoth warriors. They keep human tribes in slavery and represent the primary antagonists of the series.
Is At the Earths Core based on real hollow-earth theory?
Burroughs drew on popular nineteenth-century hollow-earth theories, particularly those of John Cleves Symmes, who proposed that the Earth was hollow with openings at the poles. Burroughs transformed this pseudoscientific concept into vivid adventure fiction.
How many Pellucidar books are there?
Burroughs wrote seven Pellucidar novels between 1914 and 1944. At the Earths Core is the first, introducing David Innes, Abner Perry, and the remarkable inner world.