Before Indiana Jones

THE COVER of one of the 16 $5 books I purchased yesterday.

Published in 1910, "The Rival Treasure Hunters: A Tale of the Debatable Frontier of British Guiana"by Robert M. MacDonald is a classic adventure tale.  Its general plot centers on:

▪️Exploration and Discovery: The story follows a journey into the wild, "debatable" frontier regions of British Guiana (modern-day Guyana).

▪️Lost Race Fiction: As a notable entry in the Lost Race genre, the characters encounter hidden civilizations or ancient, isolated peoples while searching for treasure.

▪️Rivalry: The narrative features a dramatic competition between opposing groups of hunters as they navigate the perils of the South American jungle. 

Does that sound like the beginning of “Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark”?  That not an accident; in the Indiana Jones trilogy, George Lucas was trying to recreate and modernize the serial films of the early 20th century which drew heavily on books like “The Rival Treasure Hunters”.

The price for this book on Abebooks:  $226.