Jules Gabriel Verne (1828-1905) has been ranked alongside Hugo Gernsback and H.G. Wells for the title of "Father of Science Fiction." The French novelist wrote about scientific and technological advancements - particularly in air, space and water travel - before they existed. His popular stories of travelers in unknown realms, known as his "voyages extraordinares," have made him the second-most translated author in the world. "The Underground City," one of Verne's lesser known works, begins with coal miner James Starr's journey to an old mine in Aberfoyle, near Stirling, Scotland, and the story spans over ten years. The family of mine overman, Simon Ford, has been living deep inside the mine, where they have discovered a large vein of coal. As a result, a community grows up around an underground lake called Loch Malcolm, 1500 feet below the ground, and soon mysterious and unexplainable events begin to plague the Fords and the townspeople.

Covering a time span of over ten years, this novel follows the fortunes of the mining community of Aberfoyle near Stirling, Scotland. Receiving a letter from an old colleague, mining engineer James Starr sets off for the old Aberfoyle mine, thought to have been mined out ten years earlier. Starr finds mine overman Simon Ford and his family living in a cottage deep inside the mine; he is astonished to find that Ford has made a discovery of the presence of a large vein of coal. From the outset, mysterious and unexplained happenings start to occur around the main characters, attributed initially to goblins and firemaidens.