At the Earth39;s Core
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
book Summary
David Innes is a young man who has just inherited a large mining company. An eccentric inventor, Abner Perry, convinces Innes to underwrite a project to build an 39;iron mole39;, claiming it will make them both wealthy. The mechanical beast works well, actually too well. On the maiden voyage, instead of digging for a few minutes and returning, they plunge straight through the earth39;s crust into the 39;inner world39; of Pellucidar. This world resembles earth but is a horizonless, primeval tropical landscape where the sun neither sets nor rises, and is populated by 39;Sagoth39; gorilla men, wild human slaves, and the ruling hypnotic reptilian 39;Mahars39;. Upon arrival at this strange world, the men are immediately captured and enslaved. But soon Perry learns to read the language of the Mahars, and discovers a secret way to turn the tables True to Burroughs form, this nonstop fantasy thriller weaves together savage islanders, pterodactyls, telepathy, and, of course, romance.