Scaly green humanoid encased in a block of crystal...

[Keleig]

I'm wondering if anyone knows what book this is (I read it around 1972):

Some kids are scuba diving and discover a scaly green humanoid encased in a block of crystal. Somehow they awaken him/it and he involves them in his search for his people, who live under the earth and travel around in these rock-boring machines. Or something to that effect.

I remember it greatly impressed me and my friends at the time as it made the rounds.

Thanks for any help!

 

[High Eight]

I'm wondering if anyone knows what book this is (I read it around 1972):

Some kids are scuba diving and discover a scaly green humanoid encased in a block of crystal. Somehow they awaken him/it and he involves them in his search for his people, who live under the earth and travel around in these rock-boring machines. Or something to that effect.

I remember it greatly impressed me and my friends at the time as it made the rounds.

Thanks for any help!

The first part of your description sounds very like Larry Niven's World of Ptavvs: - World of Ptavvs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The rest of it doesn't, though..........

 

[Dave]

The first part of your description sounds very like Larry Niven's World of Ptavvs: - World of Ptavvs - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The rest of it doesn't, though..........

Exactly my thoughts. The rest sounds like Battle Beneath the Earth (1967)

 

[Keleig]

Thanks for both your replies. Larry Niven's World of Ptavvs does seem to have some similarities. But I remember the revived alien befriends the scuba-diving kids -- he definitely isn't out to kill or control all sentient beings. And I'm sure the underground rock-boring vehicles were part of the same story.

 

[Keleig]

Thanks to a post I made on another forum (just in case anyone is interested) I finally tracked down this book. It's "Stranger from the Depths" by Gerry Turner. The version I read in grade school was an abridged version published by Scholastic.

I just ordered a used copy -- I'm interested to see if I still enjoy it these many years later.

 

[HareBrain]

Wow, it's only being offered for silly money on Amazon UK.

Sounds intriguing - let us know if it holds up.

 

[dustinzgirl]

Someone wrote a book about my ex husband?