Henry Morley's My Adventures in Skitzland (1850) is a humorous story of a man who gets to the country of Skitzland, located deep down the earth. People in Skitzland get born just as ordinary humans but as they grow up, they lose the bodily organs that they do not exercise and only retain those they use (e.g. tongues, hearts, ears). Moreover, the organs can be detached -- for example, if you want to see a friend, you can just send your eyes to see them; if you want to get your hair dressed, it will suffice to send you scalp to the hairdresser of your choice. The unfortunate protagonist inadvertently destroys a Skitzlander's eye and, since in that land it equals murder, is sentenced to death but manages to get back to the Earth's surface.
[Image source: https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/illustrations/adventures-skitzland/]
This delightfully weird and at times gruesome story can be read here. Unlike "realistic" fictional countries, this one features phenomena that are quite impossible in our world and thus reminds one of ancient geographies with monsters and strange creatures living in faraway lands, as well as of L. Frank Baum's books.
[Image source: http://lepoignardsubtil.hautetfort.com/media/01/02/5f986725be6eea188e1466411f208d1f.jpg]
[Image source: https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/illustrations/adventures-skitzland/]
This delightfully weird and at times gruesome story can be read here. Unlike "realistic" fictional countries, this one features phenomena that are quite impossible in our world and thus reminds one of ancient geographies with monsters and strange creatures living in faraway lands, as well as of L. Frank Baum's books.
