The Lost Continent

After reading Peter Hart’s The Great War: A Combat History of the First World War, I thought it might be fun to read a science fiction novel that touches on the war, indeed was written during the war and even before America entered it.

Now, I’m not a Burroughs fan. I find him way too dependent on coincidence. And the plot is hardly surprising – Pan-American naval officer accidentally crosses the forbidden Latitude 30 W, meets a barbarian queen in Britain, instantly falls in love with her after rescuing her from some baddies, gets separated from her, and, after some whopping coincidences and a whirlwind tying up of plot threads, is reunited with her.

But it is also usually unappreciated how politically topical and even satirical show more Burroughs could be on occasion. Here, amidst the adventure, are wry bits of satire on what the consequences of the Great War could be for European civilization and white imperialism. And, just maybe, there’s also a swipe on the sanctimonious of the Wilson Administration on the brink of WWI.

Burroughs’s fans, of course, will want to read this. And those interested in cultural responses to the war might want to take a quick look at this one too. show less

Early Burroughs adventure, 122 pages in my Ace Edition (with Frazetta cover). The continent of Europe loses contact with America for 200 years after WWI. Additionally, US ships are are forbidden to cross to the continent. A ship accidentally enters this forbidden zone and finds a ravaged world with zoo animals overrunning the cities. It has the typical Burroughs tropes, hero's hero, gorgeous women, romantic mixups, some racial content of the times and the final reconciliation. Unfortunately, Burroughs rushes through the last 2 chapters. It was aone-shot novella for a magazine issue. More chapters, even more books could have been written of the further adventures that are only hinted at while they attempt to
return home.

To be perfectly honest, I borrowed this book because I was trying to figure out how to add library books to my Kobo and it was available at the time. I really had no desire to read it. However it was only 100 pages and I was home sick so I gave it a quick read.

The year is 2137, apparently after or during the great war, the United States cut themselves off from Europe. No one was allowed past the 30 longitudinal line. United States is now called Pan-America and its Navy patrols the Atlantic to enforce this rule. Due to a series of accidents on board his ship a Navy Commander finds himself East of this line and eventually on the continent once known as Europe. There he discovers a strange and savage land.

This was a quick read, very show more entertaining. I enjoyed it. show less

A short adventure novel in which Burroughs imagines a post World War 1 Europe segregated from the American continent for over two hundred years, which has become a wild and inhospitable place. Interesting from the perspective of being written prior to America's entry into the war. The book starts well with the interest maintained into the final third when it begins to feel like the Author just wants to get to the end as quickly as possible. That said, anyone who enjoys Burroughs more famous stories will probably enjoy this one as well.

This was a good easy read that I was able to knock off in one afternoon. I like the concept of the story, but in hindsight Edgar Rice Burroughs missed an excellent opportunity for a deep & thought provoking story. It seems that this book was targeting the teenage demographic as he spends too much of the book fighting lions and elephants.

Fun short adventure. It reminds me of the lost world. Europe is a wild jungle. The hero rescues the girls, faces wild beasts and savages. the ending is rather abrupt.

Not as good as I remembered from 60 years ago but I enjoyed it nevertheless