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ratammer wrote: ↑Fri Oct 20, 2023 8:39 pm I'm struggling to think of any specific famous sci-fi stories about exploring regular holes.

Ah, I see what you're looking for now. If you're interested in science fiction stories that delve into physical holes, tunnels, and perhaps underground adventures, you might find the following books intriguing:

1. **"Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne**: This is a classic science fiction novel that involves a professor and his nephew embarking on an adventure down a volcanic tube that leads them to the center of the Earth. They encounter many prehistoric creatures and natural hazards along the way in a subterranean world.

2. **"Reliquary" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child**: This novel is the sequel to "Relic," though it stands well on its own. The story delves into the underground of New York City, particularly its subway tunnels, exploring a hidden society underneath the city's surface. It's a thriller mixed with science fiction elements, involving genetic mutations and a series of mysterious disappearances and killings.

3. **"The Descent" by Jeff Long**: This novel is not for the faint of heart, combining horror with speculative fiction. It explores a world where an entire subterranean ecosystem, complete with its humanoid species, exists deep beneath the Earth's surface. The "hole" here leads to an underground world, setting the stage for an expedition that uncovers dark secrets and poses questions about the very nature of evil.

4. **"Terminal World" by Alastair Reynolds**: While not centered exclusively on tunnels or holes, this book features a colossal, vertically structured city known as Spearpoint. One of the sectors, "the Burrow," is an extensive network of tunnels and represents one of the last refuges for humanity within a dying world with zones governed by different sets of physical laws.

These novels all have a central theme involving physical underground spaces that are integral to the storyline's progression, offering a combination of adventure, mystery, horror, and speculative science. They might not focus solely on the concept of a "hole" or a tunnel but do use these elements to facilitate broader explorations of unfamiliar worlds and societies, scientific wonders, and sometimes, the darker aspects of human nature.