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

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 suggested that there might be life down there as well. *Hollow Earth* traces the surprising, marvelous, and just plain weird permutations his ideas have 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 strange ideas that just won't go away.