The Bridge of Light is a science‑fiction adventure novel by American writer A. Hyatt Verrill. It was first published in the Fall 1929 issue of the pulp magazine Amazing Stories Quarterly and later issued in book form in 1950 by Fantasy Press (2,556 copies).
Publication details
- Author: Alpheus Hyatt Verrill (often credited as A. Hyatt Verrill)
- Language: English
- Genre: Science fiction, Lost‑world adventure
- First appearance: Amazing Stories Quarterly, Fall 1929 (magazine version)
- Book edition: Fantasy Press, 1950, hardback, 248 pages, dust‑jacket illustrated by Edd Cartier
Synopsis
The narrative follows an expedition into the South American jungle in pursuit of a legendary lost city. The protagonists encounter remnants of an ancient Mayan civilization, including a mysterious “bridge of light” that serves as a focal point for the novel’s speculative elements. The story blends jungle adventure with speculative science, typical of the “lost world” subgenre popular in early twentieth‑century pulp fiction.
Reception
Contemporary and later reviewers offered mixed assessments:
- P. Schuyler Miller praised the novel for its vivid depiction of Mayan culture, noting that it added “a feeling of authenticity to a rather routine plot.”
- Everett F. Bleiler described the work as “an old‑fashioned work,” criticizing its writing style and labeling the perils as “synthetic” and the hero’s adventures “yawn‑provoking.”
- New York Times reviewer Basil Davenport dismissed the novel as “obviously literature of escape,” suggesting that readers would turn to it only from a particularly painful occupation.
Bibliographic references
- Miller, P. S. (1951). “Book Reviews,” Astounding Science Fiction, May issue, pp. 149‑150.
- Bleiler, E. F. (1998). Science‑Fiction: The Gernsback Years. Kent State University Press, p. 447.
- Davenport, B. (1950, December 17). “Realm of the Spacement,” The New York Times.
External resources
- Full text of the 1929 magazine version is available via Project Gutenberg.
- The novel is listed in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database and archived on the Internet Archive.