rofessor Von Hardwigg is eccentric and has a volcanic temper, but he's also a brilliant geologist who has recently come into possession of an arcane book that he hopes will prove a discounted theory. Written in Icelandic runes by a 17th century explorer who supposedly adventured far beneath the Earth's crust, the book is the gateway to mysterious marvels. Prevailing theory maintains that the Earth's core is a fiery mass; Von Hardwigg believes that hot pockets do exist, but deeper still are explorable fathoms. And he and his aspiring scientist nephew Harry will attempt to prove it, with sheer will if necessary.
They gain entrance to the beginnings of the subterranean worlds via an extinct volcano. For three hours they and their Icelandic Sherpa lower themselves on ropes. Eventually they tumble into new lands, but as the days pass their water supply dwindles. Luck is with them, for they find an underground stream, but luck seems to fail when Harry accidentally falls through a fissure. After he is found by his companions, scrapes and weariness are forgotten, for they discover themselves in an underground cavern of unparalleled beauty and proportion.
The cavern is lit by some mysterious means that permits them to see the immense sea, the 40-foot tall mushrooms, and the garden vegetables as tall as trees. Hurriedly crafting a makeshift boat, they push off to sea. The placid waters do not remain still for long, and the travelers watch in terror as the sea roils beneath them, surging amidst the battle between two prehistoric behemoths -- a giant sea turtle and an ichthyasaur. The shoreline is so close, they can see it. But the plunging, bloody bodies of the ancient combatants are closer...
Those alien voices sound pretty good
Alien Voices is a company formed by Leonard Nimoy (alias Mr. Spock), John DeLancie (a.k.a. the Star Trek arch-villain Q) and Nat Segaloff (chief scriptwriter). The aim of the company is to take classic works of SF and retell them in audio format, adapting them where needed but basically staying true to the original tales. As an example of the work of Alien Voices, Journey to the Center of the Earth is perhaps not their best effort overall, but it should give listeners an idea of the production values and the feel of the company's efforts, which are good but not brilliant.
While DeLancie and Nimoy have a knack for the audio medium, they are hampered by Segaloff's script, which takes a little of the zing out of the suspense. Except for the battle of the marine titans, the danger and the drama are not quite keen enough to deliver that edge-of-the-seat feel, which is anticipated by the worthwhile delivery of the actors and the truly fabulous work by the sound directors and engineers.
In fact, both the sound and music deserve special mention. In audio pieces such as these, sound is critical to setting mood and revealing action, and the commissioning of original work was probably the wisest move made by Alien Voices. Overall, Journey may not have been the travelogue it could have been, but it was pleasant, and it bodes well for other Alien Voices adaptations. These productions probably have the most value for a junior audience, as they will introduce the younger crowd to the classics while giving them a taste of their Star Trek favorites.
