Hollow Earth: A History of Strange Tales, Bizarre Beliefs, and Conspiracy Theories about the Earth’s Core

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures *Includes historical accounts of the theory *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents The world is filled with mysteries, and even in the modern age, much of the planet remains unexplored. The depths of the oceans and the intricate and extensive cave systems that honeycomb some parts of the Earth are still largely unknown. Thus, it should come as no surprise that when it comes to this terra incognita, people have projected all sorts of ideas. Tales of sunken cities or lost civilizations are just some of the fanciful theories, and those could even be considered tame in comparison to the idea that Earth is hollow and there’s a whole other world, complete with alien beings, inside it. Despite this notion being rejected by the scientific community for at least 300 years, and despite the fact that geology, volcanology, oceanography, and physics have all proven that the planet does not have any substantial empty space inside of it, the idea of a hollow Earth continues to intrigue people and gain eager and sincere adherents. Why does this debunked notion seem to be gaining more followers? While most people accept that the Earth is an oblate spheroid and not flat, and that it is made up of rock and liquid magma and is not hollow, it’s both interesting and of value to analyze radical ideas and examine how they endure and develop. Taken at face value, these ideas are patently ridiculous, but they provoke strong emotions in sincere people who have thought about their beliefs. These people feel they are privy to a hidden truth and that the rest of the world is wrong and ignorant. Of course, this feeling of mental superiority isn’t the only appeal in clinging to radical notions. There is also the thrill of adventure—the feeling that one is part of a dangerous minority about to overthrow the dominant paradigm. It is far better, some would feel, to live in a world full of mystery and hope than in a decaying, “rational” world where everything can be explained but nothing solved. Hollow A History of Strange Tales, Bizarre Beliefs, and Conspiracy Theories about the Earth’s Core offers a sampling of the many strange stories and theories regarding the planet’s interior. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the theories like never before.

62 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 17, 2017

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 2.75 out of 5]

HOLLOW EARTH was a bargain book through Kindle ; 99 cents or some such.
Attributed to one-time archaeologist Sean McLachlan, the 60-some page text
begins with a promising preface but winds up with a presentation as muddled
as its so-called believers

Following a commendable Army career as an officer during the War of 1812,
John Cleves Symmes, Jr. (1780-1829) decided to pursue a theory of his that
the earth is actually composed of concentric circles, one within the other,
much like Russian nesting dolls. The inner earths were accessible through
either pole. In his later years he simplified the story to a hollow earth with
its own sun. After his death, other theorists blatantly stole his ideas and
expanded them. Early science fiction writers realized the potential of a hollow
planet to expound on politics (Utopia, socialism, anarchism) or set imaginative
stories of action and adventure, aliens and UFO bases and advanced hidden
civilizations.

Then there was the concave theory that has humanity, even now, living
inside our planet warmed by a rotating sun that has a bright side and a
dark side. Look straight up into the sky with a super telescope and you'll
see China........

Mankind's imagination has always been the source of 'knowledge' that could
help explain the unexplainable. Ancient indigenous tribes believed that their
ancestors came from deep inside the earth. Middle Easterners and Europeans
believed that their ancestor's underground was the abode of the dead. Hitler
and company believed in an advanced alien race living under the South Pole
that would provide UFOs and advanced weaponry to help defeat the Allies.

There is a lot of information here presented in a loose, uneven structure.
Readable and unreadable at the same time. Penned by a first time writer
without benefit of an editor.

O.K., it ain't National Geographic.
But it is a fun read.
For cheap.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really thought this was going to talk about "Journey to the center of the Earth", and the "Vernians" ( a group of people who believe the works of Jules Verne to be fact and not fiction)

Instead this book instead tells of other crazy theories of hollow earth, multiple layered earth, and concave earth (yes we are living on the inside of the earth, and the stars we see are just refracted light).

Amazing what some people will believe.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things to keep in mind when reading this book is that the level of science we have is relatively new. For most of the history of humanity there actually wasn't any science as such. Even once science got started it took a long time to reach anything like what we have today, so people believing in a hollow Earth does not mean they were stupid. The facts that would enlighten them simply didn't exist at the time. (Of course we still have people who believe the Earth is flat so there's probably still a few that think the Earth is hollow.)

The author points out there is no vast amount of empty space inside the Earth. There are no holes opening at either of the poles. But people at one time did believe there were and the book goes into the various writings about the holes (a cave in Ireland leading to Purgatory, for example).

Then there's the concave Earth theory which is no better.

The author also covers Nazis in Antarctica, Foo Fighters (strange orbs which followed WWII planes during bombing raids. a Facebook flat Earth group, Online resources and a Bibliography.

It's nice to see someone actually going into the history of this type of thing and do so in an intelligent manner.

[Madeline Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollow Earth

Very interesting read. The various theories of what dwells inside our earth was very interesting. The best was Admiral Byrd! I do believe that a superior race lives in a Utopian Society. And they are concerned about how we have treated our planet! Thank you so much.

[Katrina E Buckingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty through for a nonbeliver

He over and over says he doesn't believe but gave really good and precise facts of the stories told about the hollow earth. It's a very fast very clean read that if nothing else sparks the imagination

[Sharon A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short. More like a long-form article.