The People That Time Forgot
The Caspak Trilogy, Volume 2 – Large Print
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
“The People That Time Forgot” are the inhabitants of “Caspak,” the native name for the island of Caprona, located somewhere in or near the Antarctic. Reported by the Italian explorer Caproni in 1721, the island’s location was subsequently “lost”. Both the island and the explorer are of course entirely fictional, and the island provides the setting for what has over the years become known as Burroughs’ science fiction “Caspak Trilogy.”
Originally written under the working title “The Lost U-Boat” and published as a three-part serial, the three tales chronicle the adventures of the survivors of a torpedoed ship and the German u-boat crew on the lost island of “Caprona”, and the members of the expedition that sets out to rescue the survivors. Later published as a novel under the title “The Land That Time Forgot”, the serial segments, clearly parts of a single narrative, were subsequently published as three separate short novels in paperbacks widely available for many years. That presentation became the norm, establishing the three stories as the “Caspak Trilogy.”
In “The Land That Time Forgot”, Bowen Tyler, scion of an American shipbuilding family, narrates the adventures of the castaways, and then his own story after he becomes separated from the group, introducing the reader to the weird and violent world in the tropical interior of the island.
“The People That Time Forgot” follows the story of Tom Billings, leader of an expedition that sets out to rescue Tyler. In the course of his own adventures, Billings discovers the secret at the heart of the bizarre world, only hinted at in the first story.
In Burroughs’ trademark fast-paced action-driven style, Billings encounters a prehistoric world teeming with dinosaurs, primitive tribes at distinctly different human evolutionary stages, and bizarre creatures that have evolved in isolation for millennia. Billings navigates the dangers of Caspak, forging alliances and battling ferocious predators. He meets Ajor, a native woman who becomes his ally and guide. Together, they traverse the island’s varied landscapes, from lush jungles to treacherous mountains, uncovering the secrets of Caspak’s unique evolutionary process.
And finally, in “Out of Time’s Abyss” Burroughs circles back to a member of the group who disappeared in the first story, ultimately wrapping up the narrative and accounting for the various groups who have become separated along the way.
This quality large print edition includes the complete text of the second part of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Caspak Trilogy” in a freshly edited and newly formatted edition. Not a machine-scanned text or “blown-up” version of an older edition, it has been edited and formatted by human editors working from the original published text.
With a generous 6×9 page size, this Apex edition is printed on hefty bright white paper with a fully laminated cover featuring an original full color design. Additional material includes a retrospective essay commenting on the life, work, and widespread and lasting influence of the author, a biographical sketch of Burroughs’ life, and a detailed bibliography of his work.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
It would be hard to overstate Edgar Rice Burroughs’ impact on American popular culture. Not only is his creation, Tarzan, one of the most recognized cultural icons of the last century, but his other works, and his science fiction in particular, inspired scientists and science fiction writers alike. Just outside Carl Sagan’s office at Cornell University was a large, framed map of Burroughs “Barsoom”, and writers from H.P. Lovecraft to Arthur C. Clarke to Michael Crichton have all cited Burroughs as a major influence. From the “Buck Rogers” and “Flash Gordon” serials of the 1930’s through the “Star Wars” saga and the visually stunning “Avatar”, it is difficult to find science fiction or fantasy films that don’t contain elements traceable to Burroughs’ work.
Product details
Publisher: Apex Publications, Independently published (August 5, 2024)
Language: English
Paperback: 233 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8334922549
Item Weight: 14.7 ounces
Dimensions: 6 x 0.53 x 9 inches
List Price: $12.97
