Recent Lost World novels

[the Evil DM]

Does anyone have any good recommendations for lost world stories? I have all the classics (Burroughs, Verne, Doyle, etc.). I'm looking for recent sources say in the last 20 years. name and author would be helpful.

thanks folks!

[Kharis2000]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Oddly enough, that style of novel has slipped out of fashion in the last 20-odd years.

 

'Congo,' by Michael Crichton fitds the bill in an odd way, as does 'The Lost World'

 

Several of the Dirk Pitt and (whatever the new guy is, Kirk Something) novels by Clive Cussler also have lost world themes. Even the ones that don't are usually good examples of what a modern pulp adventure could be like.

 

There are a few more on the shelf at home, but nothing that leaps to mind without looking there.

[mserabian]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Several books by James Rollins are quite close to the old Lost Worlds books.

 

Subterranean is a true lost world novel. This is his first book and it is one of his best.

 

Excavation features a lost tribe of incas and their shocking secrets.

 

Amazonia also features a lost tribe, some interesting animals, and other surprises.

 

These three are the most like the old lost world books. Others he has written contain some elements thereof:

 

Sandstorm

 

Ice Hunt

 

Deep Fathom

 

These two have the most tenuous links to the genre, but they're still pretty good modern pulp.

 

Map of Bones

 

Black Order

[Lemurion]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Hmmmm,

 

I'd suggest the late Lin Carter's "Eric of Zanthodon" series if you can find it. It was a deliberate homage to the old lost world books and published in the late 70's and early 80's. Also the Farmer edited version of J.H. Rosny's "Ironcastle" and Farmer's Hadon of Ancient Opar.

[ThothAmon]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

'The Descent' by Jeff Long fits the bill exactly. It starts off with a couple of fantastic premises but loses focus in the later chapters:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Jeff-Long/dp/051513175X/sr=8-1/qid=1157498002/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7762721-9942433?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

Similarly, 'Atlantis Found' by Clive Cussler will probably float your boat

 

http://www.amazon.com/Atlantis-Found-Dirk-Pitt-Novel/dp/0425177173/sr=1-1/qid=1157498126/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-7762721-9942433?ie=UTF8&s=books

 

Both these novels contain good ideas that could be adapted and executed in a much better fashion by an enterprising GM. Oddly enough, I mentioned the Cussler recently in another post in relation to the giant Antarctic-crossing vehicle that features near the end.

 

Finally, you might want to try 'Hive' by Tim Curran. It reworks one of H P Lovecraft's lost worlds for the modern day:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Hive-Tim-Curran/dp/0975922947/sr=1-18/qid=1157498227/ref=sr_1_18/002-7762721-9942433?ie=UTF8&s=books

[Ian Mackinder]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

As well as Lin Carter's 'Zanthodon' series, there are his 'Callisto' books ('Jandar Of Callisto', 'Black Legion Of Callisto' and 'Sky Pirates Of Callisto' being the original trilogy) and the 'Green Star' series (5 books) - all being very worthwhile Burroughsian-style epics. The Callisto books are what got me hooked on Burroughsian adventure in the first place.

 

LC also did four books set on a Mars inspired by Leigh Brackett's works - 'The City Outside The World', 'The Valley Where Time Stood Still', 'Down To A Sunless Sea' (warning - there is also another book by another author using this title) and 'The Man Who Loved Mars'. All are also worth finding.

 

Whilst not strictly Lost World-style stories, 'Footprints Of Thunder' by James F David, 'Ancient Shores' by Jack McDevitt and 'Wildside' by Steven Gould all have something of that flavour - and all could be used as the basis for some kind of Lost World setting.

[John T]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Oddly enough' date=' that style of novel has slipped out of fashion in the last 20-odd years.[/quote']Not so odd if you assume that either A) current novel readers tend to think that "all the dark places on the map" have been filled in, or current authors and publishers assume this is the case (and current marketing data that backs up their assumptions).

 

An older, possibly more obscure book is "The Lost Ones" by Donald Payne under the pseudonym Ian Cameron. It was adapted to film as the Disney movie The Island at the Top of the World (1974); I've never found the book, but the film alone is a good starting point for a lost-world-style pulp adventure.

[the Evil DM]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

thanks for all the great input folks!

[st barbara]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Well if you are after Burroughsian type "lost worlds" set on other planets I would recommend most of Leigh Brackett's work but most of the other books that I could easily think of have been covered.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Thanks for all the links above.

 

And let me add that just about all of David Hatcher Childress' books in his 'Lost Cities' series (Lost Cities of South America, Lost Cities of Arabia and Africa, etc.) are great inspiration for pulp exploration.

[lynnlefey]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Neanderthal by John Darnton might fit the bill.

[st barbara]

Re: Recent Lost World novels

 

Thanks for all the links above.

 

And let me add that just about all of David Hatcher Childress' books in his 'Lost Cities' series (Lost Cities of South America, Lost Cities of Arabia and Africa, etc.) are great inspiration for pulp exploration.

Not quite "novels" I suppose, but worth a look if you are organising a "lost worlds" type campaign. It's a "classic" so you may have read it (and it isn't easy going I would have said) but "The Coming Race" by Edward Bulwer Lytton is one that should be on the list.