The Lost Continent: The Story of Atlantis

Rating:
Summary: A WONDERFUL FANTASY
Review: "The Lost Continent" first appeared serially in the English publication "Pearson's Magazine" in 1899, and in book form the following year. The author, C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne, is not exactly a household name today, but, back when, was an extremely popular and prolific writer. His serialized tales of Captain Kettle, also in "Pearson's," were supposedly only second in popularity to the "Strand Magazine"'s Sherlock Holmes stories, as submitted by Conan Doyle. But today, Hyne's reputation seems to rest solely on this wonderful novel of the last years of the continent of Atlantis.
The history of these final years is told by the soldier-priest Deucalion, who, at the book's opening, has just been recalled from his 20-year viceroyalty of the Atlantean province of Yucatan. On his return to his homeland, after that two-decade absence, he finds that much has changed. The upstart Phorenice has seized power and declared herself Empress; the capital city boasts many new pyramids but also many new slums; the people are starving and in revolt; the priest clan is challenging the Empress to amend her ways or face the wrath of the High Gods. Yes, it is quite a mess that Deucalion returns home to, and things only get worse when Phorenice takes a hot-blooded fancy to him and decides to take him to husband. Before all is said and done in this fast-moving tale, the reader has been treated to a four-way love triangle (or is that square?), a runaway mammoth, fights with sea monsters and giant cave tigers, pyramid intrigue, a gigantic battle between Phorenice's army and the High Priests (a battle perhaps inspired by those in H. Rider Haggard's lost-world novels), the use of arcane magic and, of course, the final destruction of the continent of Atlantis itself. Hyne writes marvelously, and uses language that is archaic enough to sound authentic but still remains eminently readable. The character of Deucalion is well drawn and quite likeable, despite his initial aloofness and rigidity; I suppose Hyne would have us believe that this character is the inspiration for the Deucalion of Greek myth. Phorenice makes for a terrific villainess, being beautiful, quite ruthless, lustful, remarkably intelligent, and ambitious. Unfortunately, these very qualities of the Empress lead directly to the downfall of her empire. Besides well-drawn principal and secondary characters, "The Lost Continent" also boasts marvelous detail and color. The capital of Atlantis, as well as its wilder volcanic outer districts, are well depicted, and Hyne tells us something of the lives of the people, the politics and religion of the Atlantean realm. All in all, this truly is a wonderful fantasy, and great escapist entertainment. The University of Nebraska Press, with its Bison Frontiers of Imagination series, is to be commended for making this lost manuscript available again to modern-day readers. I heartily recommend it to all.

Rating:
Summary: A WONDERFUL FANTASY
Review: "The Lost Continent" first appeared serially in the English publication "Pearson's Magazine" in 1899, and in book form the following year. The author, C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne, is not exactly a household name today, but, back when, was an extremely popular and prolific writer. His serialized tales of Captain Kettle, also in "Pearson's," were supposedly only second in popularity to the "Strand Magazine"'s Sherlock Holmes stories, as submitted by Conan Doyle. But today, Hyne's reputation seems to rest solely on this wonderful novel of the last years of the continent of Atlantis.
The history of these final years is told by the soldier-priest Deucalion, who, at the book's opening, has just been recalled from his 20-year viceroyalty of the Atlantean province of Yucatan. On his return to his homeland, after that two-decade absence, he finds that much has changed. The upstart Phorenice has seized power and declared herself Empress; the capital city boasts many new pyramids but also many new slums; the people are starving and in revolt; the priest clan is challenging the Empress to amend her ways or face the wrath of the High Gods. Yes, it is quite a mess that Deucalion returns home to, and things only get worse when Phorenice takes a hot-blooded fancy to him and decides to take him to husband. Before all is said and done in this fast-moving tale, the reader has been treated to a four-way love triangle (or is that square?), a runaway mammoth, fights with sea monsters and giant cave tigers, pyramid intrigue, a gigantic battle between Phorenice's army and the High Priests (a battle perhaps inspired by those in H. Rider Haggard's lost-world novels), the use of arcane magic and, of course, the final destruction of the continent of Atlantis itself. Hyne writes marvelously, and uses language that is archaic enough to sound authentic but still remains eminently readable. The character of Deucalion is well drawn and quite likeable, despite his initial aloofness and rigidity; I suppose Hyne would have us believe that this character is the inspiration for the Deucalion of Greek myth. Phorenice makes for a terrific villainess, being beautiful, quite ruthless, lustful, remarkably intelligent, and ambitious. Unfortunately, these very qualities of the Empress lead directly to the downfall of her empire. Besides well-drawn principal and secondary characters, "The Lost Continent" also boasts marvelous detail and color. The capital of Atlantis, as well as its wilder volcanic outer districts, are well depicted, and Hyne tells us something of the lives of the people, the politics and religion of the Atlantean realm. All in all, this truly is a wonderful fantasy, and great escapist entertainment. The University of Nebraska Press, with its Bison Frontiers of Imagination series, is to be commended for making this lost manuscript available again to modern-day readers. I heartily recommend it to all.

Rating:
Summary: A Vanished Civilization
Review: Whether or not you believe Atlantis existed there is something compelling about the idea of a far-away time, when the world had eight continents. I've been interested in Atlantis since childhood but I prefer to think of it as a myth. Many archaeologists hate Atlantis, refusing to believe in the teasing possibility of a vanished civilization swallowed by the sea. But it's been a source of inspiration for many SF and fantasy writers, ranging from Jules Verne to Robert E. Howard. C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne's novel "The Lost Continent" (1900) begins with the discovery of an ancient manuscript in a cave in the Canary Islands. In describing the events leading to the destruction of Atlantis, the narrator Deucalion tells an action-packed story of adventure, romance and revenge.

After giving up his post as viceroy for the colony of Yucatan, Deucalion, a warrior-priest fiercely loyal to the gods, and completely devoted to duty, returns to Atlantis for the first time in twenty years, finding it very different to the spiritual, prosperous land he remembers.

Atlantis is now governed by the Empress Phorenice, a beautiful but ruthless tyrant hell-bent on crushing opposition. Despite Phorenice's physical beauty, her evil mind and lack of conscience enables her to inflict acts of cruelty on her subjects without a qualm. Like most power-hungry autocrats, Phorenice views the suffering of others with casual disdain or amusement. In her endeavours to strengthen her power as a self-proclaimed deity, she treats the gods with an equal level of scorn and contempt, as she discovers more and more of their secrets.

Phorenice now wants Deucalion to be her husband. As Deucalion is a fatalist, believing his life to be in the hands of the gods, he agrees to her wishes and sees the full extent of Atlantis' fall from grace. Cruelty and brutality are commonplace in Atlantis, among the splendour of its spires and temples, and anyone who incurs the displeasure of the Empress is punished with torture and death. Under these conditions, it is not surprising that rebellion is growing.

We already know the ultimate fate of Atlantis but this doesn't stop the reader from enjoying the story. C.J. Cutcliffe Hyne was a writer with a sense of humour and this sometimes comes through in the dialogue. Deucalion fits the mould of the ideal fantasy hero: strong, daring, brave and articulate, a possible precursor to Conan, but a bit more intelligent. And celibate. Phorenice is the archetypal femme fatale.

Sadly "The Lost Continent" is the only book C.J. Cutcliffe Heine is remembered for today. Despite a productive career much of his work is now forgotten. But anyone fascinated by Atlantis will want to read this. "The Lost Continent" is reputed to be the best interpretation of the legendary civilization.