Niels Klim's Journey Under the Ground

Ludvig Holberg 1741

This imaginary travel story follows a young man into a hidden world beneath the Earth's surface. Among its strange societies is a land of talking trees, where slow thinking is prized.

126 pages 2h 27m reading time

A classic of Scandinavian literature and one of the earliest works of science fiction, often compared to "Gulliver's Travels."
Uses the odd customs of the underground lands to make fun of the pride, politics, and religious quarrels of 18th-century Europe.
Imagines a society where women can hold public office as men do, and another where the roles of men and women are reversed, to question what people treat as natural.
Helped start the "hollow Earth" story, a kind of adventure set inside the planet that many later writers returned to.
Was translated into many European languages, which spread its satire well beyond Denmark and Norway.

Printed abroad without a name

Holberg had it published in Leipzig, Germany, without his name, likely to avoid trouble with Danish censors.
Written in Latin on purpose

Though famous for comedies in Danish, Holberg chose Latin so educated readers across Europe could read it.
Starts in the author's hometown

Niels falls into a cave near Bergen, Norway, the city where Holberg was born and raised.
Upset readers at home

Some Danish church leaders and officials found the book offensive, and Holberg had to defend it.