Book 25 / 30. The Smoky God: Or, A Voyage to the Inner World by Willis Emerson.
“The possibilities of a land inside the earth were first brought to my attention when I picked up a geode on the shores of the Great Lakes. The geode is a spherical and apparently solid stone, but when broken is found to be hollow and coated with crystals. The earth is only a larger form of a geode, and the law that created the geode in its hollow form undoubtedly fashioned the earth in the same way.” -Dr. Orville Livingston Leech
“The unique plot of this tale makes it one of the great books of the year. The introduction is so human that the reader is immersed in scientific discussion and consideration of deep problems before he is aware of it; every page gleams with interest, and the history of the trip to the under world is handled boldly and with a rare grip which compels the reader to believe that he is hearing of facts rather than fancies.
“The story is practically the diary of Olaf Jansen, and tells of his strange theory of another world within the crust of our visible globe of everyday knowledge. How he found this mysterious world and what occurred while there makes a tale of rare interest. To tell too much of the plot would break the spell for those who have not read the book; suffice to say that it equals Mr. Emerson’s other works…The book will undoubtedly grow in interest year by year, because it has more than the merit of a well-told tale, its scientific value will attract the philosopher and the student, as well as the ordinary novel reader.” -The National Magazine
The Smoky God tells the purportedly true tale of a Norwegian sailor Olaf Jansen’s discovery of an entryway into the hollow Earth. After discovering the entrance at the North Pole, Jansen remained with the dwellers of the underground world for two years. First published in 1908, The Smoky God is an early classic civilization in the hollow Earth genre.