Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth

Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth by Max McCoy

Published by Bantam, Feb 1997

ISBN-10: 0553561952
ISBN-13: 978-0553561951

At A Glance: A dying man presents himself at Indy’s office and gives him a mysterious box, which is found to contain some Icelandic spar–the mythological sunstone–and the last pages of the man’s journal. They detail an amazing journey to Ultima Thule–the top of the world. From here, the stone will lead Indy on a perilous trek into the depths of the earth itself.

What The Goose?: This was the first Indiana Jones-based book that I’ve ever read. And, perhaps, I think it suffered for that reason. I have a small stack of Indy books that I purchased as a bundle many months back, and no where in the stack could I find that there was any particular chronological order to them. So, I picked one that fit with the pulp themes that have been running around in my head. Thus, the Hollow Earth jumped out at me, not the least reason being that I have a copy of the Hollowed Earth Expedition RPG, but I digress.

Now, as for characters, it was a lot of fun. Of course, there was Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones, Jr., himself with fedora on his head and whip in hand. The scientist in question is one Evelyn Briggs Baldwin, and yes, this is a guy. An old geezer, actually, who is based on a real-life person I find out later. He doesn’t last long in the book. Then there’s Ulla Tornaes, a “brilliant and beautiful Danish scientist” who can, quite literally, kick Indiana’s ass if so inclined. And, while this would have been the obvious love-in-the-sack-”ah Venice”-kind-of-girl normally, were we watching this as a movie, Indy and Ulla don’t actually hook up, though Ulla wouldn’t have minded. Next, we meet Sparks a 17-year-old radio technician/genius. He offers very little in the way of comic relief, though there is some. Definitely not to be compared to one Short Round.

The story itself was interesting in some places and rather bewildering in others, at least to me. Dr. Baldwin shows up on Indy’s doorstep, apparently being pursued by our favorite baddies, the Nazis. He chats at length with Indy about Hollow Earth stuff, gives him a box, tells him to guard it with his life and let no one know its contents, then runs off to die. Not bad as far as plot hooks go. But after this, the story gets, well, funky. Indy finds Dr. Baldwin’s daughter, talks with her about stuff, then gets hauled into the government somehow, because they want him to keep track of some Nazis on a zeppelin who happen to have his love interest from, I dare guess buy don’t know, a previous book.

Turns out he’s not with said love interest because he took a Crystal Skull (no, not the movie version, this book was written in 1997 after all) from someplace, and there was a curse on it. So he broke it off with said woman. Now he wants to find the Skull and return it so, hopefully, he can settle down with his heart’s love. And this is where it got really weird, because he insists on going after this Skull on his way to the supposed entrance to the Hollow Earth.

Anyway, the actual time that Indy and Ulla and Sparks spend in the Hollow Earth is about, well, 10 seconds, give or take. No, seriously. And that was near the end of the book. It was really quite the let down, personally.

This book seemed to be a stepping stone for a larger story-line, but I didn’t know that. Sorry, Bantam, but it’d be helpful if you could let me know what order books should be read in, if possible.

Suck-O-Meter: This book Didn’t Suck… unless there isn’t a book I’m missing, in which case… yeah, It Sucked.