The Lost Continent
by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950)
- Free to read
- 3 hours to read
- 9 chapters
- Reading level: 7th grade
"The Lost Continent" by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic future where the Eastern Hemisphere has been cut off from the West for over 200 years following a devastating war. The narrative revolves around Lieutenant Jefferson Turck, a naval officer of the Pan-American Federation, who embarks on a journey beyond the borders set by his civilization, seeking to uncover the mysteries of a long-lost and savage Europe. At the start of the book, Jefferson Turck reflects on the isolation of Europe and the consequences of the Great War that left it abandoned and forgotten. When his ship, the Coldwater, suffers mechanical failures, Turck finds himself crossing the forbidden line into this unknown territory. After a harrowing experience at sea, he and a few crew members wash ashore in a wild and dangerous land. As they navigate this savage world, they encounter exotic beasts and primitive tribes, revealing that civilization has regressed into a state of brutality and ignorance, far removed from the advanced society Turck knows. The opening sets the stage for a gripping adventure filled with peril, exploration, and the struggle to survive amidst the remnants of a once-great civilization.
- Science fiction
- Fantasy fiction
- England
Read the opening
Chapter I
Since earliest childhood I have been strangely fascinated by the mystery surrounding the history of the last days of twentieth century Europe. My interest is keenest, perhaps, not so much in relation to known facts as to speculation upon the unknowable of the two centuries that have rolled by since human intercourse between the Western and Eastern Hemispheres ceased—the mystery of Europe’s state following the termination of the Great War—provided, of course, that the war had been terminated.
From out of the meagerness of our censored histories we learned that for fifteen years after the cessation of diplomatic relations between the United States of North America and the belligerent nations of the Old World, news of more or less doubtful authenticity filtered, from time to time, into the Western Hemisphere from the Eastern.
Then came the fruition of that historic propaganda which is best described by its own slogan: “The East for the East—the West for the West,” and all further intercourse was stopped by statute.
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About this edition
This free edition of The Lost Continent by Edgar Rice Burroughs comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #149, released 1994-07-01. It is in the public domain in the United States, so you can read it here in full at no cost, on any phone, tablet or computer. Genre: Science-Fiction & Fantasy, Adventure, Novels, American Literature.
Summary provided by Project Gutenberg (automatically generated).
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