Lost Art by George O. Smith (1943)
Lost Art is a science fiction novel written by George O. Smith and published in 1943. The story follows the adventures of a group of space explorers who discover an ancient civilization on a distant planet. As they explore the ruins, they uncover clues to the lost art of interstellar travel that could change the course of human history.
By George O. Smith · First published 1943 · Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure, Speculative Fiction · 11,860 words
First lines
Sargon of Akkad was holding court in all of his splendor in the Mesopotamia area, which he thought to be the center of the Universe. The stars to him were but holes in a black bowl which he called the sky. They were beautiful then, as they are now, but he thought that they were put there for his edification only; for was he not the ruler of Akkadia?
After Sargon of Akkad, there would come sixty centuries of climbing before men reached the stars and found not only that there had been men upon them, but that a civilization on Mars had reached its peak four thousand years before Christ and was now but a memory and a wealth of pictographs that adorned the semipreserved Temples of Canalopsis.
What this Textopian page supports
Lost Art is listed on Textopian as a novel by George O. Smith, dated 1943 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: George O. Smith
- Date: 1943 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Speculative Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery
- Length: 11,860 words
- Structure: 1 section, 343 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Lost Art by George O. Smith
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Lost Art?
- How does this novel by George O. Smith fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Science Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Science Fiction — The narrative involves advanced technology, space travel, and extraterrestrial civilizations, which are core elements of science fiction.
- Adventure — The plot follows characters exploring unknown territories and uncovering ancient Martian technology, typical of adventure stories.
- Speculative Fiction — The story speculates on future technological advancements and the rediscovery of lost knowledge, fitting speculative fiction.
- Historical Fiction — The story references historical figures and settings, such as Sargon of Akkad, blending historical elements with fiction.
Tags
science fiction · technology · lost knowledge · adventure · mystery · innovation · exploration · humanity · future · society · engineering · discovery