Pulp Fantasy Library: The Lost Continent

Atlantis figures prominently in pulp fantasies, usually as a long-lost kingdom of great might and magic whose rule inaugurated a Golden Age for humanity. Characters such as Robert E. Howard's Kull and Henry Kuttner's Elak both call Atlantis home, but their stories appeared three decades or more after Charles Cutcliffe Hyne wrote The Lost Continent. The novel was originally serialized from July to December 1899 in the British periodical Pearson's Magazine, where H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds had appeared two years previously. The serial was eventually collected under a single cover in 1900.

The Lost Continent presents itself as a historical document recently uncovered, a framing device common in 19th century fantasies. The supposed document is the work of a warrior-priest named Deucalion, who acted as governor for Atlantis over its colony in the Yucatan peninsula. According to the book, Atlantis at its height ruled over parts of Central America and Egypt, in addition to its islands in the ocean that now bears its name. Unlike many Atlantean aristocrats, Deucalion is honest, just, and loyal. He's a throwback to an earlier time before decadence and corruption were the order of the day.

Needless to say, Deucalion's uprightness makes him many enemies, chief among them being Phorenice, a usurper who's claimed the title of empress and governs without respect for either the ancient traditions of Atlantis or concern for anything other than her self-aggrandizement. Phorenice recalls Deucalion from his post as governor, tortures his betrothed, Naia, and generally makes this upstanding man's life hell, forcing him, against his better judgment, to go rogue. He joins forces with rebels seeking to bring down the empress and restore Atlantis to its previous glory. Unfortunately, Deucalion and the rebels soon realize that toppling Phorenice is no easy task and only truly drastic measures are likely to succeed.

Knowing the myth of Atlantis, we all know how the story ends, but getting to that end is an enjoyable ride. It's filled with memorable -- if often formulaic -- characters, massive battles, magic, daring rescues, near-deaths, and, of course, world-changing cataclysms. The Lost Continent is definitely a work of the Victorian age, with that that implies. It's a bit "stiff" in places, but, from my perspective, that only adds to the book's charm, as Hyne's vivid imagination strains against the cultural norms of his own day.

Furthermore, the book's style lends a bit more plausibility to its framing device. You can more readily believe that this is a translation of an ancient text written by someone from another age, because, for us in the 21st century, it is -- not from some prehistoric time, true, but the fact remains that The Lost Continent is a product of a somewhat alien culture and that works in its favor. The book also benefits from having been written in the aftermath of works like Ignatius Donnelly's Atlantis: The Antediluvian World, which present "scientific" theories about the lost continent and its history.

Hyne's novel is thus filled with lots of little details about Atlantean society and culture that make terrific fodder for gamers or anyone interested in Victorian crackpottery about the ancient world. And, as I said, it's a fun read in its own right and worth the time, if you can find a copy. Fortunately, the book was reprinted at least three times in the 1970s, so there ought to be a surfeit of paperback editions available cheaply through the secondhand market.