Tarzan at the Earth’s Core

Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Edition: 1931

Binding: paperback 

Pages: 420

Size: 4.5 × 1 × 7 inches

Language: English

Tarzan at the Earth’s Core brings together two of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most famous fictional creations: Tarzan and the extraordinary subterranean world of Pellucidar. The novel expands the Tarzan mythology beyond the familiar African jungle setting and places its protagonist within an imaginative prehistoric world beneath the Earth’s surface.

The novel belongs to the tradition of lost-world and adventure fiction, a popular literary form in which explorers encounter unknown lands, unfamiliar civilizations, prehistoric creatures, and environments outside the ordinary experience of the modern world. Burroughs uses this framework to create a highly imaginative setting filled with danger, discovery, and constant movement.

Tarzan’s presence in Pellucidar provides an opportunity for Burroughs to combine the character’s physical courage and survival skills with the challenges of an unfamiliar environment. The story includes exploration, encounters with dangerous creatures, conflicts with hostile forces, and journeys through an elaborate fictional landscape.

One of the distinctive features of the novel is Burroughs’ imaginative treatment of Pellucidar. Rather than simply presenting the subterranean world as an extension of the ordinary Earth, he constructs it as a separate environment with its own geography, inhabitants, dangers, and rules. This imaginative setting became an important part of Burroughs’ broader body of speculative adventure fiction.

The novel also demonstrates the characteristics associated with early twentieth-century pulp adventure literature. Its emphasis on action, suspense, exploration, physical danger, and extraordinary environments makes it accessible to readers interested in classic adventure fiction as well as the origins of popular science fiction and fantasy.

Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the major figures in the development of popular adventure fiction. His Tarzan novels have had a lasting influence on popular culture, while his Pellucidar stories contributed to the development of the lost-world tradition in speculative fiction.

The supplied edition details identify this volume as Ballantine Books, 1931, with 420 pages and dimensions of approximately 4.5 × 1 × 7 inches. As a vintage edition of a Tarzan adventure, it is particularly relevant to collectors interested in Edgar Rice Burroughs, pulp fiction, classic adventure novels, science fiction, and fantasy literature.

• Title: Tarzan at the Earth’s Core
• Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Edition: 1931
• Pages: 420
• Size: 4.5 × 1 × 7 inches
• Binding: Not specified
• Language: English
• Genre: Adventure / Science Fiction / Lost-World Fiction
• Series: Tarzan / Pellucidar-related fiction
• Major Themes: Exploration, adventure, survival, unknown worlds, prehistoric creatures, fantasy
• Ideal for: Edgar Rice Burroughs collectors, Tarzan enthusiasts, pulp-fiction collectors, science-fiction readers, and classic adventure enthusiasts

🔹 Collector’s Note

This 1931 edition of Tarzan at the Earth’s Core is an appealing title for collectors interested in Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan, classic adventure fiction, pulp literature, and early speculative fiction. The novel’s combination of Tarzan adventure and the imaginative Pellucidar setting gives it a distinctive place within Burroughs’ fictional universe. The supplied 420-page format and compact dimensions make it a substantial vintage volume for a collection of classic popular fiction.