Written in 1912, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's
The Lost World
is the origin of all the many modern-day dinosaur books and films. As an adventure story it has everything - dangerous crises abound, in several exotic locations, with ape-men and a host of strange and terrifying beasts, hair-raising escapes, secret tunnels, and the occasional damsel in distress thrown in for good measure. But behind all the peril and derring-do, Conan Doyle is gently satirising the idea of Science as a pure discipline, unsullied by thoughts of personal gain; and ridiculing those close-minded, hide-bound intellectuals who possess the qualifications, but not the courage, to search diligently for the truth.