| The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Genres: Classic, Science Fiction |
On first look this book seems very similar to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park sequel with the same name. This is where the similarities end. In Doyle's version it is the fact that creatures from the Jurassic era have survived on their own, not genetically engineered. It had all started with Professor Challenger's visit to South America. He returns home with fantastical stories about having seen animals and foliage that had previously been thought to be extinct. Unfortunately, Professor Challenger becomes a laughing stock and nobody believes him.
This book really gives some food for thought though. Even today there are acres of unexplored forests, jungles, and oceans. Who's to say Bigfoot isn't out there waiting to be "discovered" or that Nessie isn't swimming around in Loch Ness. I'm not saying that I truly believe in these critters but I do not disbelieve in them either. Over 1000 new species were found in New Guinea as recently as 2011, and it is highly likely that there are more to be discovered somewhere in the world. It is quite possible that creatures we believe to be extinct are still surviving somewhere that man hasn't chopped down or polluted their ecosystem.
Doyle had two different book series that were popular in his day. While Professor Challenger never quite made it to the big time like Sherlock did, this novel represents the first book in the Professor Challenger series. Great book for any fan of science fiction or just dinosaurs in general.
4 stars!
As with most classics, this novel is within the public domain and available for download as a free ebook on both Amazon and Goodreads.
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