French Tales of Lost Worlds

The concept of “Lost Worlds” in French proto-science fiction and fantasy dates back to 1710. The four novels collected in this volume are uniquely original and illustrate the rich tradition of fantastic voyages to extraordinary “Lost Worlds” in the broad spectrum of French fantastic literature.

In Eugène Hennebert’s The Enchanted City (1893), a disparate band of French explorers, embark upon the quest for Kisimbasimba, the eponymous “enchanted city” of Central Africa.

In Charles Derennes’ The People of the Pole (1907), two French aeronauts during an expedition to the North Pole, stumble upon an alien society of technologically-advanced reptilian humanoids living in a secret enclave that has been isolated from the world for millions of years.

The third novel, Gaston Leroux’s The Bride of the Sun (1912), features a young engineer who must save his fiancée from descendents of the Incas who live in a hidden city in the Andes and are preparing to sacrifice her to the Sun God.

Finally, in Guy d’Armen’s The Fall of Inramonda (1935), in Southeast Asia, the heroic Doc Ardan discovers the existence of Inramonda, an underground realm ruled by an immortal tyrant, whose subjects are a race of artificially created “Jade Men.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Eugène Hennebert: La ville enchantée 1893.

Charles Derennes: Le Peuple du Pole (1907);

Gaston Leroux: L’Épouse du Soleil (1912)

Guy d’Armen La Fin d’Inramonda (1935)