AT THE EARTH'S CORE begins as a fun "hollow Earth" adventure but its episodic nature becomes tedious. And, as soon as the book's hero meets Dian the Beautiful, the romance aspect of this "scientific romance" takes over and most of the hero's subsequent actions are designed to reunite him with Dian. Burroughs included some surprisingly grisly descriptions, however, like the hypnotism scene in the Mahar temple.

"The Call of Cthulhu" is one of H.P. Lovecraft's most famous -- and most accessible -- works. It is sometimes difficult to read Lovecraft because of his prose style, but this story moves along at a fairly brisk pace. If you've never tried Lovecraft -- or if you have, and didn't enjoy his work -- then try "The Call of Cthulhu."