Not so much metaphorically, but literally. As Alice did, into another world. Although the term can also be quite apt as a metaphor, if you ever find yourself tumbling into a ‘new world’ you didn’t realise was there.

Alice in wonderland – I found it interesting when it was said that where she went was actually called Underland. And there are so many strange and quirky things to unpick in that film and entire story, it really is a topsy turvy world.

The Gate – a weird film about a chasm opening in a residential garden, and demons and various evils come out, intimating that there are things underground that just need to find the right opening, by way of ritual in that film, to come through.

The descent – A very creepy film, but the idea that there are creatures, even humanoid ones living beneath our feet but without being ‘civilised’ or structured as we know it, was a dark portrayal of what lurks beneath.

Tunnel systems – huge amounts of them have been discovered under the whole of Europe, stretching from Scotland all the way to Turkey, not all joined up they say but a vast network. And as we know, many other countries and continents appear to have lots going on underground.

Underground cities – I’ll mention the two above places again for this one too, as Edinburgh has a huge underground city from previous generations they say, where they build over it to create the new city. Burying the old below ground but it still functioned for a long time, just hidden from general view. And Turkey, having an incredible example of an underground city and series of tunnels. Called Derinkuyu, it is 85m below the surface and is made up of 18 levels. All hand dug apparently in the rock, and could support a massive population. Quite mysterious.

Giant Crystal cave – In Mexico a few years ago they discovered a cave while mining around 300m down, full of giant crystals, it’s quite an awesome sight to be honest. But definitely made me think of the film, Journey to the centre of the Earth as they too encountered a crystal cave, but way before this one was discovered. Or did they know? Must have just been a lucky guess.

Land of Oz – It seems the author thought of Oz as a real place, and not as somewhere fictional. He talked of it in meticulous detail and apparently sought to end the series of books at number 6, where it turns out Oz was sealed off from the outside world. For his publishers, they were dismayed, it was increasingly popular as a story and they insisted he write more, which they say he obliged and wrote around 20 stories of Oz. With the reigns then being taken up after his death by others who went onto write up to 50! I had no idea. But when the film studio got hold of it, they turned it into a dream sequence, alluding to it being a place, but only in Dorothy’s head. The film sequel did quite well to undo that, by making out it was in her head, and in the asylum, it transpires it was real after all. Very clever.

Stranger things – Quite an odd series, and the point of interest for me was the idea of being able to open another dimension that runs alongside us, underneath us, in the Upside Down. Giving it a way to seep through and merge with this reality, not even noticed by some.

I also covered a few mysterious occurrences in my previous article Appearing from Nowhere, which also mentions a cave leading to another world. And I have speculated on other things related to underground activities, but of a more horrifying, rather than fantastical nature in my article One thing leads to another, but whatever is down there, it seems to be well hidden from us. Unless you choose to venture as many have before, down the rabbit hole…

(c) K Wicks