
As theories go, the idea that the Earth is hollow does not garner a lot of respect. For most people, the hollow Earth is probably a close second to the "Earth is flat" theory on that big list of "crack-pot" ideas. Nevertheless, as long as there have been people able to sit around a camp-fire, tales of a mysterious inner world have been part of mankind's heritage.
Excerpt:
What is it about the hollow Earth theory that continues to fascinate people? Perhaps it is because people love a good mystery and right now there are not a lot of good mysteries left for people to cling to. The surface of the planet has been almost completely explored, and now we are taking those first steps to penetrate the vast reaches of outer space. So what does that leave for the rest of us who have that primal urge to see what lies on the other side of the mountain?
The deepest parts of the oceans are still almost completely untouched by human exploration, but it is not so easy for most of us to do that sort of exploring. You either have to have a whole lot of money or the ability to hold your breath for a really long time to do any serious undersea exploration. I think that is why I have always been so fascinated with the whole idea of the Hollow Earth, especially the idea that you could access it via long-lost secret tunnels that connected to the many caves and caverns that criss-cross the planet just underneath the surface.
One part of the Hollow Earth theory that was especially interesting to me was the "Shaver Mystery," first introduced to me by Timothy Green Beckley's book The Shaver Mystery and the Inner Earth, originally published by Gray Barker's Saucerian Press. With the Shaver Mystery you had an ancient race of mutated, crazed, underground dwelling humanoids whose sole purpose in their twisted lives was to make the existence of those who dwell on the surface a living hell.
Where a majority of books about UFOs and their extraterrestrial pilots were all peace, love, spiritual growth and harmony; Richard Shavers stories were the polar opposite. The dero didn't want peace and harmony - they wanted death and destruction. The Venusians were here to save us from our own atomic weapons - the dero wanted the choicest and juiciest of our population for lunch. The Martians wanted to teach us new philosophies and personal growth - the dero used their ray machines to crash our planes and steal candy from our babies.
Yep, the dero were some pretty badass underground mutants. And I ate it all up with a spoon and asked for more.
At this point in my young life, I was already familiar with the whole hollow Earth theory thanks to writers such as Brad Steiger and Raymond Bernard; but once again, as with the flying saucer mythology, the hollow Earth was allegedly filled with utopian societies that had long ago abandoned such crass things as money, war, meat-eating, and cold beers on hot summer nights. The dero, on the other hand, sounded like guys that would have enjoyed a keg of beer while they were torturing their large-breasted human slave women.
This is why I am happy to introduce to you the best of Mary J. Martin's The Hollow Hassle, a "zine" that during its day dealt almost exclusively with the hollow Earth mystery, especially Shaver's ideas and the prospect that there were secret caverns out there that could lead to the secret underground cities. Most of the articles included in this book have not been seen since they were originally published and they offer a plethora of valuable information that anyone interested in the hollow Earth and its related theories will find extremely fascinating.
But be warned...those who have delved too deeply into the mysteries of the inner Earth have often paid a heavy price for their curiosity. With Richard Shaver and his deros, it is the darkest corners of mankind's psyche that rules supreme in the secret tunnels deep underground. So take care when you go exploring Richard Shavers inner world, you never know what terrors and delights wait just beyond the corner.
185+ pages - 8¼ x 10¾, softcover