Antiquitas Lost

Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans

1st edition
Author Robert Louis Smith
Cover artist Geof Isherwood
Country United States
Language English
Series Antiquitas Lost
Genre Fantasy
Publisher Medlock Publishing
Publication date
2011
Media type Print (Paperback)
Pages 624 p. (paperback edition)
ISBN 978-0-615-46047-5 (paperback edition)
LC Class 2011910604

Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans is the debut novel of American author Robert Louis Smith. It is a fantasy novel that chronicles the adventures of an American teenage boy after he stumbles through a magical doorway in his grandfather's basement, and into a war-torn fantasy world called Pangrelor. The main story arc involves the protagonist's gradual discovery of his unknown relation to Pangrelor, and his unlikely quest to help save its greatest civilization, which is centered on the mountaintop city of Harwelden. Several times during the story, the protagonist is told that success in saving this fabled city of Harwelden may help to save his own dying mother, who remains isolated from him and terminally ill in New Orleans.

Antiquitas Lost has many high quality illustrations, which is unusual for this genre.

Synopsis

Antiquitas Lost tells the story of a boy named Elliott, a lonesome kid with deformities on his hands and feet, who is uprooted from his home after his mother falls gravely ill. When they move to New Orleans so his grandfather can help care for her, Elliott learns that the old man’s eighteenth century mansion hides an ancient secret. While checking out some eerie paintings and strange relics in the basement, Elliott strays through an ancient doorway into a tumultuous parallel world, full of bizarre creatures and warring races. He has stumbled into Pangrelor, the most ancient of all worlds and “mother to all the stars in the sky.” As he learns to navigate his new surroundings, he discovers wondrous abilities he never dreamed he possessed, and an abiding connection to the primitive, alien world that will forever change him. But he must proceed carefully. For he soon learns that his actions in the ancient world will impact the upcoming battle for Harwelden, Pangrelor’s greatest civilization, and will also resonate all the way back to New Orleans, perhaps deciding whether his own mother lives or dies.

Artwork


Antiquitas Lost had more than 70 high quality illustrations, which were drawn and inked by Marvel Comics artist Geof Isherwood, who now spends most of his time working in the film industry. Prior to working on Antiquitas Lost, Isherwoods’s credits include longtime illustrations of Marvel Comics including Spider-Man, The X-Men, The Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, Namor, The Avengers, and others. Credits in the film industry include concept/production illustrations for Richard Donner (Director of The Omen, Superman, & Lethal Weapon),[1] Bryan Singer (Director of The Usual Suspects, X-Men, X2),[2] and Darren Aronofsky (Director of The Fountain, The Wrestler), among others.[3] In 1997, Isherwood also introduced his own comic book title, Lincoln-16, which garnered praise for its artwork from Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee.[4]

Editing

Antiquitas Lost was edited by freelance editor Michael Carr, whose editing credits include: Michael Moorcock’s White Wolf’s Son, Brad Meltzer’s The Zero Game (NY Times No. 3 bestseller), Patricia Smiley’s Cover Your Eyes (LA Times bestseller), Bernard Goldberg’s Arrogance (NY Times bestseller), Al Sharpton’s Al on America, CNN’s Lou Dobbs’ Exporting America, and Tucker Carlson’s Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites.[5] Carr has edited for several major publishing houses, including Time Warner Books, Penguin Putnam, Holcomb Hathaway, and Globo Libros. In January 2011, after completing his work on the manuscript for Antiquitas Lost, Carr edited and translated into English the book, Buried Alive: The True Story of the Chilean Mining Disaster and the Extraordinary Rescue at Camp Hope[6], by Chilean miner Manuel Pino Toro.

Critical reception and reviews

Critical response to Antiquitas Lost was favorable, and positive reviews of the novel were published by Kirkus Reviews, Foreword Reviews, Library Journal, and The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Kirkus Reviews[7] stated: “This is a bildungsroman and quest tale in the tradition of epic high fantasy, and fans of the genre will enjoy the extensive world building and imaginative magical feats. The characters are well-developed, some with poignant back stories and others whose true intentions aren’t revealed until the very end. Though the novel is lengthy, there is never a dull moment, as the characters’ actions drive the plot at a steady pace all the way to the ultimate battle. More than 70 pen-and-ink illustrations by Geof Isherwood, evocative of a Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual, add an extra dimension to Smith’s vivid descriptions. Pleasing for readers looking to escape into an expansive world of magic, conflict and racing action.” In January 2012, KirkusReviews.com briefly featured Antiquitas Lost on its home page, touting it as a 2011 Critics Pick. ForeWord Reviews also praised Antiquitas Lost, stating: “This debut novel is a far-flung quest through a world of nightmarish creatures and epic conflicts in the spirit of Tolkien's The Hobbit, but what makes the story truly wondrous are the many personal touches that the author provides in creating his multi-faceted characters." The Seattle Post Intelligencer review stated: “Robert Louis Smith has channeled Anne Rice's unassuming writing style and pacing while borrowing themes from an earlier period of fantasy writing... Antiquitas Lost is a nostalgic trip to another world. It borrows much from an earlier period of books, comics, and movies and comes off as an original homage to everything loved about youth with enough that is new to avoid parody.” ComicAttack.net criticized the novel for using familiar fantasy plot mechanisms, and suggested simplistic thematic depth, yet offered an overall positive review, stating: "[Antiquitas Lost has] a fresh, easy feel with lots of clear, well versed action. Smith’s greatest asset is his ability to write with great pacing. For a 615 page epic fantasy, this has an enjoyable pace that’s not too fast and not too slow... [It] brought out the childhood me who enjoyed reading old novels with illustrations such as Treasure Island." ScienceFiction.com also reviewed Antiquitas Lost favorably, stating: "...The creatures that Smith created resemble popular creatures from other novels, with the exception of the Salax. The Salax are horrifying and unique...[Antiquitas Lost] was compelling and energetic. You can tell Isherwood enjoyed illustrating it as well, with his detail and his character depictions." However, the ScienceFiction.com review criticized the protagonist as being too one dimensional, and described some of the early character development as "tedious". Goodreads.com lists a cumulative rating for Antiquitas Lost of 3.78 out of 5 stars, and Amazon customer reviews offers 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Awards

On October 17, 2011, HollywoodSoapbox.com selected Antiquitas Lost as the "most promising novel" featured at the 2011 New York ComicCon, which featured thousands of exhibitors and hosted over 100,000 fans. In January 2012, KirkusReviews.com briefly featured Antiquitas Lost on its home page as a 2011 Critics Pick. In June 2012, Antiquitas Lost was awarded bronze in Best Juvenile Fiction category at the 16th Annual Independent Publisher Book Awards in New York City. In August 2012, Antiquitas Lost was featured on the cover of Publishers Weekly, and in March 2013, Antiquitas Lost won a Pinnacle Award for Best Juvenile Fiction.

Major characters

Listed are the major characters in the book.

Races

Listed are the major types of creatures in the book.

Pangrelor

Pangrelor, the fantasy world depicted in Antiquitas Lost, is envisioned as a habitable mega-planet, or "Super-Earth"[8] orbiting a binary star system. The size of the world is referred to obliquely (ten times larger than earth), and the planet is frequently described as having two suns. Gravitational forces are not explained, though the characters seem to experience gravity and temperatures similar to those of Earth.

Themes

There are a few dominant themes in the Antiquitas Lost

Author

Robert Louis Smith is a 42-year interventional cardiologist affiliated with the Oklahoma Heart Institute in Tulsa, Oklahoma.[11] He specializes in transcatheter stent therapies including placement of coronary stents in heart arteries to treat conditions like heart attacks and unstable angina. He also specializes in the invasive treatment of peripheral arterial disease[12] and lower extremity venous disease.[13] He obtained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Psychology and Microbiology (respectively) from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, Oklahoma.[14] He went on to obtain a Master of Science degree in Anaerobic Microbiology and then a Medical Doctorate (M.D.) from the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 2000. Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine were completed at Emory University[15] in Atlanta in 2003. Cardiology training was begun at Tulane University in New Orleans,[16] where he lived from 2003 to 2005, and completed at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 2006.[17] He went on to perform additional training in interventional cardiology at the University of Florida[18] in Jacksonville, graduating in 2007. He is married and the father of two young children. He began writing Antiquitas Lost in 2003 while in training at the Tulane University School of Medicine. During Hurricane Katrina, he was the chief fellow for the Tulane cardiology training program and weathered the storm at the New Orleans VA Medical center in downtown New Orleans, directly across the street from the Louisiana Superdome. Though he later safely left the city, the manuscript for Antiquitas Lost was feared lost for several months.

Marketing

Antiquitas Lost had its world premiere at the 2011 New York Comic Convention[19] (at the Javits convention center near Times Square) in October 2011. Over 100,000 guests attended the New York event. According to the Antiquitas Lost Facebook page, advertising at the 2011 New York Comic Con helped to generate hits from 76 different countries on the official Antiquitas Lost website. Print publicity for the initial release was handled by the Carol Fass publicity agency out of New York,[20] and digital/social publicity representation was by FSB Associates out of New Jersey.[21] The novels website (www.AntiquitasLost.com) was also designed by FSB Associates. Following the appearance at the New York Convention, the author (Robert Louis Smith) and illustrator (Geof Isherwood) appeared at the 2011 Halifax, Nova Scotia Hal-Con convention[22]

For the 2011 New York convention, Medlock Publishing worked with Oscar nominated Hollywood special effects artist Adrien Morot[23] to design and build a costume for Antiquitas Lost antagonist, Malus Lothar. Morot initially rose to fame through his special effects work on films like 300, Night at the Museum, and The Day After Tomorrow. In 2010, he was nominated for an Oscar for his work with Paul Giamatti in Barney's Version. The costume he designed was worn during the New York convention by actor Scott Mason, who appeared in a small role in 2011's Oscar nominated True Grit[24] and most recently performed in a larger role for the upcoming Nick Cassavetes[25] film Yellow.

New Orleans connection

The author began writing the book in 2003 while living in New Orleans's Garden District, and New Orleans is prominently featured in the book. Chapter one takes place in New Orleans Garden District, and several real-life locales are mentioned. These include Pleasant Street (location of the authors first New Orleans apartment),[26] the old Lafayette Cemetery (understood to be Lafayette Cemetery number 1 in New Orleans Garden District),[27] and an "old book store," understood to be the Garden District Book Shop on Prytania Street.[28] There are also references to St. Charles street, the Mississippi River, and the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte, after whom a famous Bourbon Street bar is named.[29] An important Gimlet city is named after a street in the garden district (Prytania), and the ocean on the east coast of the Carafayan continent, The Ponchatoulan Ocean, seems to have been influenced by the Louisiana town of Ponchatoula.[30] Toward the end of the book, Hurricane Katrina is referenced.

Anne Rice connection

The author has stated that he began writing Antiquitas Lost while sitting at Anne Rice's[31] dining room table. Although the author and Ms. Rice were neighbors from 2003 to 2005, they have never met. The author bought Ms. Rice's dining room table from an estate sale at one of her New Orlean's properties, the old St. Elizabeth's orphanage.[32] He has stated that he hoped working at the dining room table would bring him luck, and that he imagined that Ms. Rice may have sat at the same table while working on one of her Vampire Chronicles books.

Publisher

Antiquitas Lost is offered by Medlock Publishing, LLC, based out of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

References

  1. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001149/
  2. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001741/
  3. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004716/
  4. Lincoln-16 Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Geofisherwood.com (April 2, 1997). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  5. Michael Carr: Copyediting, Developmental Editing, Ghostwriting Archived September 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Book-editing.com (November 2, 2011). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  6. Buried Alive: The True Story of the Chilean Mining Disaster and the Extraordinary Rescue at Camp Hope (9780230115156): Manuel Pino Toro, Natalie Morales: Books. Amazon.com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  7. Barth, John. (2001-11-20) COMING SOON!!! by John Barth | Kirkus Book Reviews. Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  8. Udry, S.; Bonfils, X.; Delfosse, X.; Forveille, T.; Mayor, M.; Perrier, C.; Bouchy, F.; Lovis, C.; et al. (2007). "The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XI. Super-Earths (5 and 8 M) in a 3-planet system". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 469 (3): L43–L47. arXiv:0704.3841Freely accessible. Bibcode:2007A&A...469L..43U. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20077612.
  9. Ice Age Animals. Museum.state.il.us. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  10. The complete works. Leonardo Da Vinci. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  11. Home | Oklahoma Heart Institute Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Oklahomaheart.com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  12. What Is Peripheral Arterial Disease? – NHLBI, NIH. Nhlbi.nih.gov (April 1, 2011). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  13. What Is Venous Disease? – Vein Clinic. DukeHealth.org (August 23, 2007). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  14. The University of Oklahoma. Ou.edu. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  15. Emory University Home Page. Emory.edu. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  16. Tulane University. Tulane.edu. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  17. Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt.edu. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  18. University of Florida. Ufl.edu (October 27, 2011). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  19. the biggest and most exciting popular culture convention on the East Coast! – New York Comic Con | October 11 – 14, 2012 | Javits Center. New York Comic Con. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  20. Carol Fass Publicity & Public Relations – What others have said about Carol Fass Archived September 29, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.. Fasspr.com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  21. Online Book Publicity, Social Media Publicity, Web Book Marketing & Promotion, Web Site Design and Development. FSB Associates. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  22. Hal-Con. Hal-Con. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  23. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0606110/
  24. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1403865/
  25. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001024/
  26. pleasant street new orleans – Google Maps. Maps.google.com (January 1, 1970). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  27. Archived June 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  28. New Orleans' Signature Book Shop. Garden District Book Shop. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  29. Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. At New Orleans. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  30. The City of Ponchatoula Louisiana 70454. Ponchatoula.com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  31. The Vampire Chronicles. AnneRice.Com (July 10, 2009). Retrieved on November 10, 2011.
  32. In Pictures. AnneRice.Com. Retrieved on November 10, 2011.

External links

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