The Land That Time Forgot by Edgar Rice Burroughs
"The Land That Time Forgot" is a series of adventure novels authored by Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published in 1918. The story follows the exploits of Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., Tom Billings, and Bradley as they navigate the uncharted island of Caprona, also known as Caspak, located near the South Pole during the summer of 1916. The narrative begins with Tyler recounting his harrowing experiences after his ship is sunk by a German U-boat. He and his companions encounter a world filled with prehistoric creatures and varying stages of human evolution, where beings evolve from eggs laid in warm pools.
The novels explore the themes of survival and evolution, as characters interact with tribes that represent different evolutionary stages, from primitive to more advanced societies. Key female characters, such as Lys LaRue and Ajor, play crucial roles in the plot, influencing the dynamics of love and conflict. The storyline is rich with action, featuring battles against both monstrous beasts and rival human factions. Ultimately, the characters strive to escape the dangers of Caspak and return to civilization, culminating in a shared journey back to California aboard the retaken U-boat. The series is noted for its imaginative portrayal of a lost world and the interplay between humanity and its primal instincts.
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The Land That Time Forgot
First published:The Land That Time Forgot (1924, as trilogy); previously published serially as “The Land That Time Forgot” (August, 1918, Blue Book), “The People That Time Forgot” (October, 1918, Blue Book), and “Out of Time’s Abyss” (December, 1918, Blue Book)
Type of work: Novels
Type of plot: Fantasy—evolutionary fantasy
Time of work: Summer, 1916
Locale: Caspak, the interior of Caprona, a lost island near the South Pole
The Plot
“The Land That Time Forgot” and “The People That Time Forgot” originally were titled “The Lost U-Boat” and “Cor-sva-Jo.” The titles were changed by Ray Long of Blue Book, where they were first published as serial novellas in 1918. The books were reissued under their separate titles in 1982.
The three books trace the adventures of Bowen J. Tyler, Jr., Tom Billings, and Bradley in the land of Caspak, the interior of the uncharted island of Caprona, somewhere near the South Pole, during the summer of 1916. During these adventures, they discover and battle men and beasts representing several stages of evolutionary development. On Caspak, most individuals (both human and beast) evolve from eggs deposited in warm southern pools. These become tadpolelike creatures, some of which eventually take to land and begin an evolutionary journey requiring centuries to complete. The “humans” that survive move through stages of physical development, becoming less apelike and using more sophisticated weapons, progressing northward to more highly developed tribes when the evolutionary clock “calls” them “to rise.” A few women achieve full reproductive powers (rather than depositing eggs), making them highly prized and, in the cases of Ajor and Co-Tan, catalysts for the intrigues of the plot.
The Land That Time Forgot begins as an unnamed narrator uncovers a fantastic manuscript in a bottle, written by Tyler, who recounts his experiences on Caprona. On his way to the French ambulance service, Tyler’s ship is sunk by a German U-boat. After rescuing the beautiful Lys LaRue, with whom he falls in love during the course of the story, he helps capture the U-boat with the crew of the British ship, the Toreador, that had rescued him. Because allied vessels and ports shun them in the U-boat, and after a traitor’s sabotage gets them wildly off course, they find themselves before the rockbound coast of Caprona. Once in the interior, they are in constant battle within a “mesozoic nightmare” of prehistoric monsters and men, including the evil German captain, Baron von Schoenvorts, who takes back the U-boat and apparently escapes from Caspak.
Meanwhile, Tyler goes to rescue LaRue, who has been kidnapped by a primitive tribe, while Bradley, the first mate, leads an exploratory expedition into the interior. After rescuing LaRue, Tyler takes her further north. Lost and alone, the pair establish housekeeping in a cliff cave and write the manuscript that is discovered eventually in the bottle.
The People That Time Forgot traces the rescue efforts of Tom Billings, Tyler’s friend and family secretary. Upon arrival on Caprona, he saves Ajor, a member of Caspak’s most developed tribe—the Galus—from a giant panther. She teaches Billings her language, they fall in love, and together they head north, where the Galus are threatened by the lower Kro-lu tribe, who hope to skip the lengthy evolutionary stages of progression. Soon, Billings and Ajor are captured by the Kro-lu. Following their separate escapes and subsequent recapture, they are rescued in the nick of time by the crew of the Toreador, together with Tyler, who was living with LaRue among the Galus. Billings and Ajor remain with the Galus as the rest head for home.
The third book, Out of Time’s Abyss, tells the story of Bradley’s expedition and occurs simultaneously with the first two books. Most of the action takes place after Bradley is taken captive to Oo-oh, the island city of the Wieroos, the treacherous flying men of Caspak. The Wieroos have captured a Galu woman, Co-Tan, who can reproduce offspring from her womb. They need her to breed more Wieroos in order to consolidate their power in Caspak. Bradley and Co-Tan escape after a series of life-and-death struggles, arriving in time to help the recaptured British crew kill the abusive von Schoenvorts and retake the sub. In the end, all parties are reunited and travel together to California aboard the U-boat and the Toreador.