Charles R Tanner's "Tumithak of the Corridors" (novella, adventure, free)

While the ideas here are familiar, may be this was one of the stories that originated some of them? And there is obvious influence of H G Wells.

Story summary.

Shelks, of Venus, conquered earth thousands of years ago, driving humans into vast underground warrens that are now the natural habitat of humanity. Tumithak, hero of the story, is a human from these warrens who has vague dreams of humanity overcoming the shelks & reclaiming earth.

To this end, he will undertake a journey to the surface to slay a shelk. Story is mostly of his adventures during this journey.

See also.

1. A Bertram Chandler's "Giant Killer": An intelligent rat from an "underground" rat colony will kill a "giant" (a man).
2. William Tenn's "Of Men & Monsters": Man living as rat-like pests in a world (earth?) now owned by giant aliens.

Fact sheet.

First published: Amazing Stories, January 1932.
Download full text from The Writings of Charles R Tanner. [via James W Harris @ClassicScienceFiction]
Rating: B.