-Niels Klim's Journey under the Ground

This early example of science fiction by the Dano-Norwegian Holberg imagines an underground country named Nazar. Holberg describes Nazar, accessible through a crevasse in the mountains of Norway, as composed of several regions that each have unique inhabitants and societies. For example, the region of Cocklev is governed solely by women, the island of Crochet is inhabited by people who are half musical instruments, and Potu, by mobile trees that can talk. Holberg designed this work to be a defense of tolerance, reason, and the equality of women in the satirical style of Jonathan Swift. 

Much like the novel The Goddess of Atvatabar, also on display, this work is based on the theory that the Earth is hollow, containing vast interior spaces. This theory had roots in ancient folklore and had been proposed by astronomer Edmond Halley in 1692 before being disproven around the time of this work’s publication in 1741.