The Land That Time Forgot (novel)
A lost world novel with a unique biological system.
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote this fantasy novel, the first of his Caspak trilogy, originally calling it "The Lost U-Boat." It appeared as a three-part serial in Blue Book Magazine during 1918, and the complete trilogy was released as a single book by A. C. McClurg in 1924.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Edgar Rice Burroughs
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Series
- Caspak
- Genre
- Lost world
- Publisher
- A. C. McClurg
- Released
- 1918
- Format
- Print (Hardback)
Facts from the source article.
Plot introduction
The story begins as a wartime sea adventure but develops into a lost world narrative reminiscent of works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Jules Verne. Burroughs introduces a distinctive biological system in which evolution is recapitulated through individual metamorphosis, a mystery gradually revealed over the trilogy.
Plot summary
The tug is sunk, but its crew captures the German U-boat U-33. Unable to reach port due to mistaken identity, and with navigation sabotaged, the submarine drifts to Antarctic waters. Low on fuel and with poisoned provisions, the crew discovers Caprona, a lost island first reported in 1721. Entering a subterranean passage, they find a tropical river with prehistoric creatures. They build a base called Fort Dinosaur, where British and Germans cooperate under Tyler. They capture a Neanderthal named Ahm, learn the island is called Caspak, and discover oil.
Adaptations
The novel was adapted to film in 1974 by Britain's Amicus Productions, directed by Kevin Connor. It became a sleeper hit, leading to two more Burroughs adaptations: At the Earth's Core (1976) and The People That Time Forgot (1977). All three were distributed in the United States by American International Pictures. A second film adaptation by The Asylum was released in 2009, featuring present-day people and World War II troops on a prehistoric island. A third film adaptation from The Asylum, starring Michael Paré, was released in January 2025, involving a Russian attack and a gravitational anomaly. In July 2016, American Mythology Productions released a comic book sequel by Mike Wolfer and Giancarlo Caracuzzo, starring Bowen J. Tyler's great-granddaughter.
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