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Pellucidar #7
Savage Pellucidar
When David Innes and Abner Perry set out to search for mineral deposits in Perry's newly invented Mechanical Prospectro, they never dreamed of discovering the beautiful, terrifying world of Pellucidar five hundred miles beneath their feet. Cast into a country of fierce fighting men, beautiful women, and vicious beasts, David and Abner take sharply diverging paths. David and his mate, Dian the Beautiful, set out to teach Pellucidar the ways of civilization and succeed in gathering a number of primitive kingdoms into the Empire of Pellucidar. Meanwhile, Abner turns his inventive genius to the science of aeronautics, with dire results for both David and Dian. The seventh and final book in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar series, Savage Pellucidar continues the epic story with a masterful blend of action, humor, and suspense.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1941
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649 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,916 books2,739 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 13, 2022
Well the end of a fantastic ERB series. Other writers will continue telling of adventures set in this awesome prehistoric world but none will do it as well and the master of action & adventure. Overall the series is very recommended
February 4, 2022
I'd be willing to bet that fans and readers of Edgar Rice Burroughs were disappointed with the May 1942 issue of Amazing Stories. You see, Burroughs had a formula he frequently utilized where he would write 4 novellas which were published back-to-back in magazine format, whereafter he would then knit them together for hardback publication, and off they'd go to A. C. McClurg, et al.
But this was destined not to happen in the case of the book which, since November 1963, we have known as Savage Pellucidar. That is the year that the missing novella, which became the book's title, was finally published by Canaveral Press, after languishing for years in ERB's safe where this and several other manuscripts were discovered some 12 years after his death by his son, Hulbert. But for those guys who read the first 3 installments back in Feb/Mar/Apr of 1942, 21 years must roll by if they wished to read the final denouement.
Savage Pellucidar, Book 7 in ERB's "Inner Earth" series, is a fun romp. And although readers of the entire series might not find a whole lot new in this one, the book is worth reading for the ERB gems that lurk in everything he wrote. And there are definitely some interesting tidbits--this is ERB we're talking about.
The story has an interesting cast of characters and plenty of Getting-Captured-And-Escaping (one of ERB's world-building techniques for which he is famous). David Innes and Co. meet another man from the upper world who likes human flesh, there is a gliding Stegosaurus, Diana befriends a couple of tarags (saber tooths) which inspired some of the most famous ERB art out there, and then there is O-aa, a Pellucidar girl who has one of the most winsome personalities of any of ERB's cast of heroines, and more. There's plenty of derring-do, lots of traveling around (another of ERB world-building methods) including two hot air balloon rides, and naturally, dear old Abner Perry turns up in a few scenes.
I can't recall what precisely prevented ERB from submitting the MS for the May issue but most likely it was the war effort. WW2 was in its third year in 1942, Burroughs had become the oldest living War Correspondent, and he was quite busy for the remainder of the war, and so did not produce a whole lot of fiction. As a matter of fact, aside from a few unfinished scraps, the only other novel he wrote before passing in 1950 was Tarzan and the Foreign Legion, which, if you've read it, you might recall is about fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific--where he was serving.
Savage Pellucidar, then, both the unpublished novella, and the hardback by the same title, were not published in ERB's lifetime, but he did intend to do so. Life interfered, as it so often does. But, how do we know he intended to, even tho 8 years (1942-1950) passed when he could have done so, at any time, had he so wished? We know because we have the blurb that he himself wrote for the flyleaf of the hardback that never made into the hands of his readers during his lifetime. And so with those words, I think this is the perfect place to close.
~Edgar Rice Burroughs
But this was destined not to happen in the case of the book which, since November 1963, we have known as Savage Pellucidar. That is the year that the missing novella, which became the book's title, was finally published by Canaveral Press, after languishing for years in ERB's safe where this and several other manuscripts were discovered some 12 years after his death by his son, Hulbert. But for those guys who read the first 3 installments back in Feb/Mar/Apr of 1942, 21 years must roll by if they wished to read the final denouement.
Savage Pellucidar, Book 7 in ERB's "Inner Earth" series, is a fun romp. And although readers of the entire series might not find a whole lot new in this one, the book is worth reading for the ERB gems that lurk in everything he wrote. And there are definitely some interesting tidbits--this is ERB we're talking about.
The story has an interesting cast of characters and plenty of Getting-Captured-And-Escaping (one of ERB's world-building techniques for which he is famous). David Innes and Co. meet another man from the upper world who likes human flesh, there is a gliding Stegosaurus, Diana befriends a couple of tarags (saber tooths) which inspired some of the most famous ERB art out there, and then there is O-aa, a Pellucidar girl who has one of the most winsome personalities of any of ERB's cast of heroines, and more. There's plenty of derring-do, lots of traveling around (another of ERB world-building methods) including two hot air balloon rides, and naturally, dear old Abner Perry turns up in a few scenes.
I can't recall what precisely prevented ERB from submitting the MS for the May issue but most likely it was the war effort. WW2 was in its third year in 1942, Burroughs had become the oldest living War Correspondent, and he was quite busy for the remainder of the war, and so did not produce a whole lot of fiction. As a matter of fact, aside from a few unfinished scraps, the only other novel he wrote before passing in 1950 was Tarzan and the Foreign Legion, which, if you've read it, you might recall is about fighting the Japanese in the South Pacific--where he was serving.
Savage Pellucidar, then, both the unpublished novella, and the hardback by the same title, were not published in ERB's lifetime, but he did intend to do so. Life interfered, as it so often does. But, how do we know he intended to, even tho 8 years (1942-1950) passed when he could have done so, at any time, had he so wished? We know because we have the blurb that he himself wrote for the flyleaf of the hardback that never made into the hands of his readers during his lifetime. And so with those words, I think this is the perfect place to close.
While this could hardly be called “A collection of flowers of literature,” it might still be called a sort of anthology — an anthology of adventure. It is a tale not alone of the adventures of the girl, O-aa; but of those which befell Hodon the Fleet One and Dian the Beautiful and Abner Perry and David Innes and the little old man from Cape Cod, whose name was not Dolly Dorcas, and many others.
It will take you to strange lands across the nameless strait in the Stone Age world at the Earth’s core, and to adventures upon the terrible seas of Pellucidar. It will take you from the terrors with which you have been for years accustomed–the terrors of a world gone mad with hate — to the cleaner, finer terrors of prehistoric hunting beasts and savage, primeval men.
~Edgar Rice Burroughs
April 26, 2023
For a not complete novel, but just a bunch of stories, it was very good reading. It never felt like disjointed short stories, except for some abrupt story line changes from one set of characters to the next. I am glad I found it and could complete it for a wrap to the Pellucidar series. I think it was my favorite place to go, next to Mars.
May 30, 2024
This novel of Edgar Rice Burroughs novel was action packed with the female characters more resourceful but the ending seemed like the author was told to end it already. There could have been scenes of the characters reunion and the final fate of the crazy old man revealed. What was interesting was the way Edgar Rice Burroughs portrays the Bronze Age Pellucidar religious civilization as superstitious and set up to use religion as a money making scheme. What I also noted was the cavepeople were rugged individualists but I think that organized communities would have had a better chance of defending themselves from sabertooth tigers and the dinosaurs. Overall it was a great adventure novel that kept me reading until the end.
March 9, 2016
After a good start, this series of books got increasingly more frustrating to read. This final book follows much of the pattern set in the previous 2 books. Protagonist A would meet friendly native B, they would then be captured by hostile tribe X and have to escape. After a short period of freedom they would be captured by tribe Z. That's the basic outline over and over.
This one did change things a little in that there were multiple POV's, but that caused issues when the POV would change every couple of paragraphs.
Glad to have finished the series, but I think that's quite enough ERB for some time. If your interested in this series, grab the first two, find a map of Pelluicdar on the internet and enjoy.
This one did change things a little in that there were multiple POV's, but that caused issues when the POV would change every couple of paragraphs.
Glad to have finished the series, but I think that's quite enough ERB for some time. If your interested in this series, grab the first two, find a map of Pelluicdar on the internet and enjoy.
March 29, 2022
I'm not familiar with the earlier books of the series, but, while being very pulp-y, this book has a pretty involved plot for a 250 page Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. The POV keeps changing between several characters and the action ranges over thousands of miles of the Hollow Earth, populated by dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals and cavemen. While the author's attitudes towards women aren't any more enlightened than usual, the two female characters in the story are pretty bad ass. Other characters include David Innes and Abner Perry (probably the WORST inventor in any pulp novel) - both surface dwellers who have carved themselves an empire in the previous six stories - as well as various Neolithic (and bronze-age) people from different tribes. Also, a New England cannibal. Burroughs is not shy about airing his opinions on religion and modern life. Obviously there are cliffhangers galore and many improbable coincidences. 3.5 stars.
December 28, 2024
Bloated but still fun.
July 19, 2010
This is a copy of the original book printed by Ace Books in 1963. It's a delightful read! The tale reminds me of those old-time chase movies because the action goes and goes and goes. The characters (many) explore, get lost, are captured, escape, and the sequence repeats. Meet David Innes and Abner Perry who drill into earth's interior to discover a world within a world, Pellucidar. Inhabited by cave men and beasts of the time, they find themselves stranded. David falls in love with Dian the Beautiful and Perry invents and invents. The adventures of Innes and Perry combine with those of several other characters. It's great fun to read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2008
I have no particular recollection of the Pellucidar stories in this, the last of the series. I do, however, remember the cover and have appreciated aggressively independent women ever since.
September 14, 2012
Really enjoyed this!
August 2, 2015
My favorite Pellucidar book and one of my Burroughs favorites, a brilliant satire of religion and a comedic romp.
July 27, 2008
I have the Ace edition.
May 27, 2022
Edgard Rice Burroughs' 1963 Savage Pellucidar, final installment in the seven-book "hollow Earth" series, tells its plot across four stories: the 1941 "Return to Pellucidar," "Men of the Bronze Age" and "Tiger Girl" of 1942, and the 1963 "Savage Pellucidar." Each piece could stand alone if needed, but they all indeed hang together in following the same flow of events.
As is common in Burroughs--Pellucidar, Barsoom, what have you--there's a purty li'l gal lost, or perhaps lost and then held prisoner, who needs endless tracking and then rescue. There actually are a couple of different gals in this predicament, starting with Dian the Beautiful, wife of David Innes, the outer-worlder who along with inventor Abner Perry first discovered the world inside the hollow Earth all those years ago. And Innes himself is in peril as well, and in need of faithful and clever companions.
Savage Pellucidar features quests across prehistoric lands treacherous with saber-tooth tigers and pterodactyls and other beasts, through territories ruled by ruthless xenophobic tribes whose automatic greeting to strangers is "I kill!," and over seas teeming with gigantic aquatic predators. As usual, the plot is punctuated by fights and captures, escapes and cliffhangers, treachery and exhibitions of honor, and lucky breaks and ironic near misses. There also are the occasional droll digs against the pomposity and the cruelty of the modern world on the surface of the globe, and yet sometimes the narrative does get just a little cute for my taste...
Edgar Rice Burroughs' final Pellucidar book may not necessarily be the best of the series, but it still is a decent 4-star piece of classic pulp fiction worth the attention of readers of the previous six books.
As is common in Burroughs--Pellucidar, Barsoom, what have you--there's a purty li'l gal lost, or perhaps lost and then held prisoner, who needs endless tracking and then rescue. There actually are a couple of different gals in this predicament, starting with Dian the Beautiful, wife of David Innes, the outer-worlder who along with inventor Abner Perry first discovered the world inside the hollow Earth all those years ago. And Innes himself is in peril as well, and in need of faithful and clever companions.
Savage Pellucidar features quests across prehistoric lands treacherous with saber-tooth tigers and pterodactyls and other beasts, through territories ruled by ruthless xenophobic tribes whose automatic greeting to strangers is "I kill!," and over seas teeming with gigantic aquatic predators. As usual, the plot is punctuated by fights and captures, escapes and cliffhangers, treachery and exhibitions of honor, and lucky breaks and ironic near misses. There also are the occasional droll digs against the pomposity and the cruelty of the modern world on the surface of the globe, and yet sometimes the narrative does get just a little cute for my taste...
Edgar Rice Burroughs' final Pellucidar book may not necessarily be the best of the series, but it still is a decent 4-star piece of classic pulp fiction worth the attention of readers of the previous six books.
March 19, 2024
Edgar Rice Burroughs is a blast to read. Although his prose may seen antiquated, he knows how to spin a yarn as this six-fisted saga of man versus other men and prehistoric beasts in the final installment of the Pellucidar series. John Eric Holmes would take the authorized baton from the Burroughs estate and pen two novels. Unlike the earlier Pellucidar books, "Savage Pellucidar" is more lightweight with more comic interludes and characters serving as comic relief. For example, O_aa is an agile daughter of a king with penchant for prevarication that is unrivaled the Burroughs universe. Everything gets off on the wrong foot when Abner allows Dian the Beautiful to ride in a gas balloon. The foolish old man forget to maintain a watch on the ropes as Dian ascended into the skies. Incredibly, thru sheer ineptitude, Abner and the others watch helpless as the ropes slips off the windlass and poor Dian drifts away into oblivion, only to come down later in a walled city where she discovers she is a Goddess. Intrigue and turmoil ensue. Hodon the Fleet One is still pursuing O_aa, a daring damsel who assures every man she encounters that her nine to thirteen brothers will kill them if they infringe on her welfare. Happily, these two will finally come together. Overall, despite it abundant humor and the idiocy of Abner Perry, "Savage Pellucidar" is a fun read, teeming with prehistoric violence.
January 7, 2024
Burroughs' heroines tend to be beautiful and brave but their bravery is limited to staring down their captor while waiting for the hero to save them. Not in this one, built out of four linked novellas (something ERB did several times later in his career). Dian the Beautiful gets to show herself brave, capable and quick-witted. Then there's O-aa.
Burroughs never wrote anyone else like O-aa, whose solution in any situation is to lie like a rug. When she's mistaken for a goddess, she soon offends the priesthood by slashing tithes (they've been extorting the people something fierce) but when they try to rein her in she bluffs them to hell and back.
There are still moments of Burroughs' typical sexism here, but this series goes out on a win.
Burroughs never wrote anyone else like O-aa, whose solution in any situation is to lie like a rug. When she's mistaken for a goddess, she soon offends the priesthood by slashing tithes (they've been extorting the people something fierce) but when they try to rein her in she bluffs them to hell and back.
There are still moments of Burroughs' typical sexism here, but this series goes out on a win.
August 18, 2025
Dave is back in Sari observing Perry’s failed aeroplane experiment. Then he goes on a tour of inspection of the Empire’s other kingdoms. This leads to another story that jumps around following the strange journeys of 4-5 people. David off to help a kingdom under attack. Dian in her search from above for David. Hodon, a warrior of David’s for O-aa, a girl he wants to mate. O-aa who hasn’t a sensible cell in her brain who keeps running away. And several others who show up around them. If some of them would just stay home they’d find each other. The crazy luck of these characters is unbelievable.
Fave scenes: the story of Perry’s first one-pounder, Dian & Gamba killing the saurian, Ah-gilak’s clipper ship and O-aa finding the jalok dog.
Fave scenes: the story of Perry’s first one-pounder, Dian & Gamba killing the saurian, Ah-gilak’s clipper ship and O-aa finding the jalok dog.
September 17, 2019
I honestly didn't know what to expect when reading this book. I remember reading a Tarzan book from ERB when I was a kid and remembered that I liked it back then and was curious whether I would like additional books of his many years later.
Turns out they are fun. This one is anyway, a rollicking adventure set within the earth's core? with interesting characters and playful adventure. And funny.
I hear this is the last book of this particular series - last of seven - and one of the weaker entries. I'll have to find the rest to read.
Turns out they are fun. This one is anyway, a rollicking adventure set within the earth's core? with interesting characters and playful adventure. And funny.
I hear this is the last book of this particular series - last of seven - and one of the weaker entries. I'll have to find the rest to read.
November 5, 2023
The final book in the Pellucidar series that was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. And in many ways, its one of the best. Completely filled with harrowing adventures, and hopeless situations. These are my favorite of ERB's works, and I'm sorry to not have more to look forward to.
December 28, 2023
После ряда неудачных книг в серии, эта получилась вполне приличной. И оригинальность сюжета имеется, и интересные приключения, и даже забавная главная героиня, немного отличающаяся от типичных берроузовских воительниц.
October 10, 2017
Read this and the rest of the Pellucidar series in the 70s. Enjoyable!
July 18, 2018
Thanks
August 22, 2018
The last in ERB's "Pellucidar" series, this one is actually a collection of four stories. Typical plot and adventures, with dinosaurs still around in Earth's inner world.
October 11, 2016
The main character's are developed but I can't say as they develop further as the story moves forward. The premise of action is almost cyclical as if a cookie cutter was used for the sub plots in the book. I would be tempted to lable this book in today's lexicon as a YA or bordering on the upper adolescent level.
Worthy of note is the accuracy used in the genus description pertaining to the dinosaurs. I spent a little time looking up the genus of each and was surprised that such was factual and descriptive. Perhaps a different way to learn about the types of dinosaurs and when they were upon the earth. Including this was the development of man transiting from the Stone Age to the Bronaze Age, and so forth. Within this book are some interesting facts along with early science but just as applicable in 1963 as they are in 2016.
Filling a full sized hot air balloon with natural gas would be begging for a disaster given the volatility of natural gas or hydrogen. Both are equally explosive but we find Abner the inventor using natural gas to inflate and lift the ballooon into the heavens. The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas, and exploded in 1937. The book, Savage Pellucidar, was published in 1963. So the idea of filling a large hot air balloon with highly flammable gas, and the risks associated with that, is not new but just as risky.
A very good book for up and coming young readers with a bent for sci-fi, dinosaurs and adventure.
Worthy of note is the accuracy used in the genus description pertaining to the dinosaurs. I spent a little time looking up the genus of each and was surprised that such was factual and descriptive. Perhaps a different way to learn about the types of dinosaurs and when they were upon the earth. Including this was the development of man transiting from the Stone Age to the Bronaze Age, and so forth. Within this book are some interesting facts along with early science but just as applicable in 1963 as they are in 2016.
Filling a full sized hot air balloon with natural gas would be begging for a disaster given the volatility of natural gas or hydrogen. Both are equally explosive but we find Abner the inventor using natural gas to inflate and lift the ballooon into the heavens. The Hindenburg was filled with hydrogen, a highly flammable gas, and exploded in 1937. The book, Savage Pellucidar, was published in 1963. So the idea of filling a large hot air balloon with highly flammable gas, and the risks associated with that, is not new but just as risky.
A very good book for up and coming young readers with a bent for sci-fi, dinosaurs and adventure.
March 3, 2009
The final installment of the Pellucidar series is an interesting story with a lot of potential that unfortunately seemed to follow the same template as the other books.
Burroughs introduced an New Englander who had become a cannibal, a king from a bronze-age city, and several other interesting characters, but never really developed them. The characters he does develop are nearly indistinguishable from the characters in the other books in the series. There are the strong, independent women, the strong, honorable men, the men without honor, and the wild beasts.
The story itself was an enjoyable read, but nothing spectacular.
Burroughs introduced an New Englander who had become a cannibal, a king from a bronze-age city, and several other interesting characters, but never really developed them. The characters he does develop are nearly indistinguishable from the characters in the other books in the series. There are the strong, independent women, the strong, honorable men, the men without honor, and the wild beasts.
The story itself was an enjoyable read, but nothing spectacular.
February 10, 2013
This the last novel in the Pelucidar series is actually rather good, the style is often poor at times almost childlike, the story totally unbelievable, but it is great fun, action-packed with at times (especially in the second part) lots of humour and rather dark humour at that.
November 25, 2012
Still the same formula as the other books, but this time with added humor and a bit of social commentary (just a tad). I enjoyed reading about David finding Dian one last time. Hopefully they lived happily ever after.
December 7, 2012
The Pelliucidar series is my favorite series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I used to walk to Grand Central and gather bottles along the side of the road. I would be able to collect enough bottles and turn them in for the deposit for the next book in this (and all of his series)series of books!
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September 1, 2013Pellucidar Book 5
May 3, 2016
read some time in 1995
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews