In a tradition that stretches from Gulliver's Travels to King Solomon's Mines and Jurassic Park, 'The Lost World' is a story of civilised man's encounter with alternative races or species; in this case, Indians, ape-men, and dinosaurs. 'The Lost World' was the first of Conan Doyle's stories to feature the adventurer, Professor Challenger. Challenger and his team are re-united in 'The Poison Belt', where the world is engulfed by lethal gas. These gripping Challenger stories appear here with two other fantasies: 'The Terror of Blue John Gap', and 'The Horror of the Heights'.