So I just took a trip into the Rey San Marcos cave here in Guatemala. We only went 200 meters in, but apparently a French spelunking team traveled 60 miles through it and never found the end. While ducking around stalactites, I couldn't help but start thinking of stories about caves, and then start compiling a list of cave fiction.
- Mark Danielewski, House of Leaves. First book I thought of. Perfectly captures the cavernous feel, although it turns out to be much more than mere cave.
- Mark Twain, Tom Sawyer. I can never forget the part where they reveal that the outer reaches of the cave had never been mapped. (a haunting portrait of infinity). Then, also, at the end they discover the villain died inside the walled-up cave, eating candles until he starved. No candle eating in Guatemala, I'm happy to report.
- Benjamin Percy, Refresh Refresh. You didn't think I could make a list without a short story collection, did you? His story "The Caves" details the exploits of a Oregonian couple mapping out the caves beneath their home as they struggle with a miscarriage. And by the way, I learned at BEA that he's coming out with a story collection for the third year in a row, as well as a novel. Percy is a literary animal.
- Jim Crace, Quarantine. Jesus in a cave in the desert. But much more fun than that description implies. Also, the story is bigger than just the cave, but the cave is central.
- Jose Saramago, The Cave. Just because it's the title.
- William Gass, The Tunnel. Yes, it's a tunnel, not a cave, but really, caves are usually just long, big tunnels. So you get the point. And besides, this is a book that will not be forgotten.
