Raising Atlantis

Raising Atlantis (2005) by Thomas Greanias (Pocket Star Books)
ISBN: 0743491912
Condition: Used (lightly submerged, now resurfaced) as sold by Crappy Old Books

Raising Atlantis is one of those gloriously bonkers thrillers that begins with science, takes a sharp left into conspiracy, and ends up in a place where ancient supercivilisations, the Vatican, and US military hardware all have to share the same plot. It is what happens when someone looks at the icy wasteland of Antarctica and thinks, you know what this needs? Buried secrets and apocalyptic stakes.

An earthquake in Antarctica reveals a mysterious structure under the ice, which is obviously not just a nice, normal rock formation. Enter a priest with a complicated past, a brilliant scientist with family baggage, a few people with access to big equipment and bigger weapons, and the sort of mysterious artefacts that scream, absolutely nothing can go wrong here. As the ice cracks and the body count rises, the story cheerfully escalates towards the question: did Atlantis exist, and if so, is it about to ruin everyone’s week?

Think: frantic chases, ominous relics, classified files, ancient warnings that nobody reads properly, and the looming sense that humans are not remotely ready for whatever they are about to dig up. It is part archaeology, part theology, part action movie, and part we should really stop touching things we do not understand.

This particular copy has made its way to you via Crappy Old Books, which means it has already survived at least one expedition through someone’s backpack. You should expect:

• A cover with some light rubbing and edge wear, as if it has spent quality time in airports, on trains, and possibly on a deckchair during a staycation.

• A spine with honest creases that suggest previous readers hit the cliffhangers and refused to stop just because their stop was next.

• Corners that are gently rounded, like ice that has melted and refrozen several times, except less dramatic and with fewer global implications.

Inside, the pages still contain every twist, revelation, and slightly unhinged theory. The text is all there, the chapters are in order, and the only thing missing is perhaps a small margin note from a previous owner saying, yes, this is absolutely ridiculous, I love it. If there are any faint page bends, you can assume they mark scenes with particularly audacious plot turns or dialogue perfect for muttering aloud.

Buying Raising Atlantis in Used condition from Crappy Old Books adds an extra layer of charm to the experience. You are reading about a lost civilisation emerging from beneath the ice, in a paperback that has emerged from the depths of someone’s secondhand box. The story is full of relics; the book itself is basically one. Very on theme.

Perfect for readers who

• Believe no thriller is complete without at least one ancient secret that could doom humanity

• Like their science sprinkled with a generous helping of nonsense and spectacle

• Enjoy books that feel like watching a late night action film where you occasionally shout, oh come on, but keep turning pages anyway

Adopt this Used copy of Raising Atlantis and let it resurface on your shelf. The exterior may be a bit scuffed from its previous adventures, but the action inside is still at full tilt, and the end of the world has never been quite so entertainingly implausible.

Keep browsing: See more Science-Fiction books Other books by Thomas Greanias