Pellucidar
What is Pellucidar about?
Pellucidar, published in 1915, is the second novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar series. David Innes returns to the inner world after escaping to the surface at the end of At the Earth's Core. Using the Iron Mole, he descends back to Pellucidar to find Dian the Beautiful, who has disappeared following a misunderstanding. In the timeless, horizonless inner world, David's search for Dian becomes an odyssey across strange seas and uncharted lands. He builds the first ship ever to sail Pellucidar's vast underground oceans, introduces gunpowder to the primitive federation of human tribes, and works to unite them against the telepathic Mahar overlords who still hold much of Pellucidar in their grip. Along the way David encounters new species of prehistoric beasts, navigates treacherous island chains, and faces the constant disorientation of a world with no cardinal directions and no way to measure time. The novel expands the scope of Pellucidar from a single region to a vast inner world with diverse ecosystems and cultures, while advancing David's mission to build an empire of free peoples inside the Earth.
Main themes in Pellucidar
Exploration of unknown seas and lands
The presence of exploration of unknown seas and lands in Pellucidar connects readers to its enduring relevance.
Empire-building and uniting diverse peoples
The theme of empire-building and uniting diverse peoples weaves through Pellucidar, adding depth to its narrative.
Technology transfer to primitive societies
Pellucidar thoughtfully explores technology transfer to primitive societies through its central conflicts.
The disorientation of a world without time
In Pellucidar, the disorientation of a world without time provides a lens for understanding the story's core message.
Why Pellucidar is still relevant today
Pellucidar expands the hollow-earth series from a local adventure into an epic of exploration, empire-building, and liberation. The novel's depiction of sailing uncharted underground oceans and introducing technology to a primitive world anticipated themes later explored in science fiction and alternate-history fiction. Burroughs further develops the unique physics of the inner world, where navigation without compass or stars creates compelling challenges. As a public-domain work, it appeals to readers interested in hollow-earth fiction, exploration narratives, and the challenge of building civilization from scratch.
More by this author
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pellucidar the novel about?
David Innes returns to the inner world to find Dian the Beautiful and continue his mission to free humanity from the Mahar reptiles. He builds ships, introduces gunpowder, and works to unite the primitive tribes into a federation while exploring vast underground oceans.
How does navigation work in Pellucidar?
Navigation in Pellucidar is nearly impossible because there is no night, no stars, no magnetic poles for compasses, and the land curves upward in all directions. Distance and direction must be estimated without any conventional reference points.
Is Pellucidar a direct sequel?
Yes, Pellucidar continues directly from At the Earths Core, with David Innes returning to the inner world to reunite with Dian and continue the revolution against the Mahar oppressors.
What new elements does this sequel introduce?
Pellucidar introduces ocean navigation in the inner world, new prehistoric species, a broader geography of the hollow Earth, and the challenge of building a technological civilization among primitive tribes.