Pellucidar (Edgar Rice Burrough's Inner World)

Pellucidar

Basics

• Name: Pellucidar
• Aliases: The Inner World
• Universe/World: Edgar Rice Burroughs' Pellucidar series
• Notable Inhabitants: David Innes, Abner Perry, Sagoths, Mahar
• Notable Landmarks: The Empire of Pellucidar, Mahar City, the Land of Awful Shadow, the Dead World
• First Appearance: "At the Earth's Core" (1914)
• Creator: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Illustration

The illustration seizes a breathless moment in the heart of Pellucidar. In the foreground, a female warrior dominates the scene. Her lithe form, all lean muscle and sinew, is wrapped in rough-hewn leather armor, protecting her chest and lower body. Strands of her wild, dark hair escape a loosely tied bun, framing a sun-bronzed face etched with grit and determination. A clear topaz pendant, a peculiar token of her tribe, swings at her neck, matching the fierce glint in her piercing hazel eyes. Her spear, a robust shaft tipped with a razor-sharp stone point, is held aloft, ready to deal a decisive blow.

The warrior's adversary, a Mahar, squats with its sinewy reptilian body. Its featherless, pallid skin glistens under the sunlight, the vein-webbed wings folded at its sides. Its snaking, tentacled beak, ordinarily a terrifying display of might, is defensively coiled, echoing the gleam of apprehension in its large, bulbous eyes.

Behind this confrontation, Pellucidar unfurls, wild and undomesticated. Towering trees, bearing gargantuan, fern-like leaves, carve out the sky, their colossal trunks lost in a sea of dense undergrowth. The eternal midday sun hangs low, bathing the scene in a golden aura, casting long, stretching shadows that seem to play an intricate game of hide and seek across the savage landscape. The barren face of the Dead World punctuates the sky, its silent vigil a stark contrast to the primeval dance of life beneath it. Each element of this tableau sings an ode to the inherent struggle and relentless vigor of Pellucidar.

Background

Introduced by Edgar Rice Burroughs in "At the Earth's Core" (1914), the world of Pellucidar first came into being as the unlikely discovery of two audacious surface world explorers, David Innes, a mining heir, and his older friend, the eccentric inventor, Abner Perry. Innes and Perry had set out to test the Iron Mole, a gigantic mechanical drill designed by Perry for mining applications. Rather than simply carrying out the initial testing, the machine burrowed through the Earth's crust, plunging the pair into the depths of the planet. What they discovered was a realm entirely detached from our reality: a hollow world existing within the Earth's confines, which they named Pellucidar.

Pellucidar, this primal, inside-out sphere with its peculiar geographical and astronomical characteristics, struck the explorers with its unique features. A miniature sun hangs at the center of Pellucidar's hollow sphere, radiating light and heat uniformly throughout this Inner World, creating a perpetual, unmoving midday. As they acclimated to this subterranean realm, they noticed the lack of a horizon; the landscape curving upwards in the distance due to the inward curve of the hollow earth. The idea of cardinal directions became an enigma as the sun, always at zenith, provided no cues of east or west. In the peculiar environment of Pellucidar, even gravity seemed to follow different rules, acting outwards from the inner surface.

While its natural characteristics alone would make Pellucidar a fascinating study, it was the world's inhabitants that truly astounded Innes and Perry. Pellucidar was found to be home to a wide array of life forms, including humans, beast-like humanoids, and several other sentient races. The fauna appeared to be a conglomerate from different geological epochs of the Earth, having coexisted and evolved in this Inner World independent from the surface. Creatures considered extinct for millions of years on the surface, such as dinosaurs and mammoths, roamed the lands and skies of Pellucidar, adding a dangerous element to this primal paradise.

One of the sentient races that the explorers encountered were the Sagoths, a subspecies of ape-like creatures with rudimentary intelligence, serving as the brutal enforcers for a more advanced and sinister race, the Mahars. The Mahars, a species of telepathic, pterosaur-like beings, represented the dominant power in Pellucidar at the time of Innes and Perry's arrival. They ruled over the human and Sagoth populations with an iron fist, abducting humans as slaves or for horrifying sacrificial rites, maintaining a reign of terror that kept the other inhabitants in check.

Innes, with his inherent sense of justice and liberty, couldn't stand by while the innocent inhabitants of Pellucidar suffered under the tyrannical rule of the Mahars. Alongside Perry, he ignited a rebellion, using his surface world knowledge to craft weapons and tactics, gradually uniting the scattered human tribes. Their efforts gave birth to the Federation of Free Nations, or more commonly known as the Empire of Pellucidar, marking the beginnings of organized human resistance against the Mahar rule.

The struggle for freedom and the battles for survival within this timeless, savage world form the heart of the ensuing series, with seven books chronicling the numerous adventures, trials, and triumphs of the humans of Pellucidar. Each new tale delves deeper into the mysteries of this land, uncovering new races, cultures, and geographical wonders.

The series sees Innes and Perry dealing with multiple challenges as they strive to solidify the human empire, all while navigating a world where the rules of time, space, and life itself are unlike anything they knew on the surface. From understanding the societal structures of their allies and enemies to unveiling the secrets of Pellucidar's ancient history, the pair’s journey is a testament to human resilience, adaptability, and the unyielding spirit of exploration. Their saga weaves an enduring narrative tapestry across the ages, further solidifying the enthralling allure of this timeless world known as Pellucidar.

Characteristics

Pellucidar is unique in its astronomical and geographical aspects. The Inner World's sun is a stationary ball of fire in the sky, resulting in perpetual daylight and a concept of time unfamiliar to surface dwellers. Its gravity is reversed, acting outwards from the inner surface. Flora and fauna from different epochs coexist, giving rise to a bewildering and dangerous array of wildlife. Pellucidar is also rich in precious gems and gold, often dismissed as common stones by its inhabitants.

Its cultural tapestry is rich with various human and non-human races. The dominant species, besides humans, are the ape-like Sagoths who serve the Mahar, and the Mahar themselves, a race of highly intelligent, flying reptiles with a terrifying telepathic power.

Notable Locations

• The Empire of Pellucidar: The Empire of Pellucidar, often referred to as the Federation of Free Nations, is the collective effort of human tribes united under David Innes' leadership. The Empire embodies the spirit of human resilience and resistance against the oppression of the Mahars. Geographically, it spans across several locations where allied tribes reside, expanding as more tribes join their cause. These settlements vary widely, from cave dwellings to semi-fortified villages, reflecting the diversity and adaptability of Pellucidar's human inhabitants. The Empire's heart, however, is the city of Sari, the first settlement liberated by Innes and the location of his base.

• Mahar City: The Mahar City is a chilling testament to the architectural prowess and societal organization of the Mahars. Located near a large body of water, the city is comprised of colossal, dome-like structures, somewhat reminiscent of ancient Roman or Greek architecture. Inside these buildings, numerous chambers serve different purposes, from egg incubation rooms to communal areas and individual dwellings. The city also hosts grand amphitheaters where the Mahars perform their horrifying rituals, solidifying their terrifying image in the minds of their subjugated subjects.

• The Land of Awful Shadow: The Land of Awful Shadow exists at the periphery of Pellucidar's landscape, a place where the central sun's light reaches obliquely, casting long, eerie shadows. This place experiences the closest equivalent to night-time in Pellucidar. Its chilling semi-darkness is home to strange creatures and plants adapted to lower light levels, creating an environment vastly different from the sun-drenched lands elsewhere in Pellucidar. The humans living in this area lead a significantly different lifestyle, affected by the constant semi-darkness, cold, and unique challenges posed by the region's flora and fauna.

• The Dead World: A place of superstition and mystery, the Dead World is a moon-like satellite that orbits the sun of Pellucidar. Visible from the surface, it is believed by the inhabitants of Pellucidar to be the afterlife realm, the place where spirits go after death. The Dead World has a menacing appearance, with a scorched, barren surface, and is thought to influence the behavior and evolution of certain species in Pellucidar due to its gravitational pull. While little is known about its actual composition and conditions, the Dead World plays a significant role in the cultural and religious beliefs of Pellucidar's inhabitants, adding a spiritual dimension to this already complex world.

Role in the Narrative

The discovery and exploration of Pellucidar serve as the main narrative threads throughout Edgar Rice Burroughs' series, acting as the vibrant backdrop against which the entire saga unfolds. Its primordial landscapes, inhabited by a bizarre mix of extinct and mythical creatures, present constant physical and psychological challenges that drive character development, especially of the protagonists, David Innes and Abner Perry. Their adaptation to this harsh environment and the alliances they form with various human tribes and other species are crucial elements of the narrative, significantly influencing the plot's progression.

The struggle for power and freedom in Pellucidar forms the core conflict of the series. The protagonists' fight against the oppressive Mahars and their efforts to unite the scattered human tribes under the banner of the Empire of Pellucidar have significant implications for the narrative arc. As such, Pellucidar is not just a setting but a catalyst for the unfolding drama. Its peculiar geographical and temporal characteristics often influence the narrative's pacing and continuity, providing a unique twist to the conventional storytelling approach. Thus, Pellucidar serves as both the stage and an active player in the narrative, shaping the characters, plot, and the very essence of the Pellucidar series.

Appearances

Following its initial introduction in "At the Earth's Core," Pellucidar has played a central role in the entire seven-book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Each subsequent novel in the series reveals new aspects of the world, its species, and its landscapes, constantly expanding and enriching the reader's perception of this exotic realm. From "Pellucidar" (1915) and "Tanar of Pellucidar" (1929) to "Land of Terror" (1944) and "Savage Pellucidar" (1963), the exploration of Pellucidar remains an integral part of the narrative, retaining its allure and mystery throughout.

Beyond its source material, Pellucidar has found its way into other forms of media and literature as well. It featured in the 1976 film adaptation "At the Earth's Core," where the unique landscapes and inhabitants of Pellucidar were brought to life on screen. While the movie took certain creative liberties, it faithfully captured the essence of the primitive and exotic world that Burroughs had envisioned, serving to popularize Pellucidar among a wider audience.

In addition to film, Pellucidar has also been incorporated into comic book series by different publishers, including DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics. These visual adaptations, beginning from the 1970s and continuing till the 1990s, have depicted the adventures of Innes and Perry in the savage world, using vivid illustrations to enhance the readers' understanding of the distinctive geography and fauna of Pellucidar.

In the realm of cross-over literature, Pellucidar's universe has been intertwined with Burroughs' other famous series, Tarzan, in the novel "Tarzan at the Earth's Core" (1929). In this narrative, Tarzan, the lord of the jungle, embarks on an expedition to rescue David Innes from the Korsar pirates in Pellucidar, thus merging the two fantastical worlds in a thrilling saga. This cross-over served to enhance the popularity and recognition of Pellucidar, further establishing its significant influence within the larger Burroughs universe.

Notes

Pellucidar's unique portrayal in the literature of the early 20th century reflects Edgar Rice Burroughs' fascination with both science and the unknown. While Burroughs' concept of a hollow Earth is scientifically implausible, it was not entirely unique for its time. The Hollow Earth theory had been proposed and entertained by various scientists and scholars in the past. However, it was Burroughs' imaginative prowess that breathed life into this theory, spawning an entirely new world teeming with adventure and danger. Pellucidar also has been a significant influence in speculative fiction, inspiring other authors to create similar fantastical settings. Notably, Philip José Farmer incorporated Pellucidar into his Wold Newton Universe, where several fictional characters, including those from Burroughs' works, share a common ancestry.

Pellucidar Series

1. "At the Earth's Core" (1914) - David Innes and Abner Perry's first exploration of Pellucidar.
2. "Pellucidar" (1915) - The duo's return to the hollow earth realm.
3. "Tanar of Pellucidar" (1929) - Follows the adventures of Tanar, a young chieftain, through uncharted territories in Pellucidar.
4. "Tarzan at the Earth's Core" (1929) - A crossover with the Tarzan series.
5. "Back to the Stone Age" (1937) - Chronicles Lieutenant Frederich Wilhelm Eric von Mendeldorf und von Horst's survival after being left behind in Pellucidar.
6. "Land of Terror" (1944) - David Innes embarks on a perilous journey through Pellucidar.
7. "Savage Pellucidar" (1963) - The final book in the series, filled with separate but interconnected tales of exploration and conflict in the far corners of Pellucidar.

References

• Farmer, P.J. (1979). "Tarzan Alive: A Definitive Biography of Lord Greystoke." - An example of the creative incorporation of Pellucidar into the Wold Newton Universe.
• Holtsmark, E.B. (1986). "Edgar Rice Burroughs." - A comprehensive analysis of Burroughs' works, including the Pellucidar series.
• Zeuschner, R.B. (2016). "Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Bibliography." - An exhaustive reference for all of Burroughs' works.
• Lupoff, R. (2005). "Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs." - An insightful look into Burroughs' creative universes.
• "At the Earth's Core" (1976). Directed by Kevin Connor. - The film adaptation of Burroughs' first book in the Pellucidar series.
• "Pellucidar – The Inner World: Volume 1" (1974-1975). DC Comics. - Comic book adaptation of Burroughs' Pellucidar series.
• "Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core" (2016). Dark Horse Comics. - Another comic book rendition of Pellucidar's adventurous tales.
• Standish, D. (2007). "Hollow Earth: The Long and Curious History of Imagining Strange Lands, Fantastical Creatures, Advanced Civilizations, and Marvelous Machines Below the Earth's Surface." - An exploration of the hollow Earth theory.
• Huckenpöhler, J.G. (1996). "The Edgar Rice Burroughs Library." - A catalogue detailing the collection of works by Edgar Rice Burroughs.