When Plato created the island of Atlantis as a minor philosophical allegory back in 360 BC, he could never have imagined the impact it would have on modern culture 2000 years later.
Real or fantasy?
In the 19th century, some scholars suggested there may be some historical relevance to Plato’s story. The suggestion was that the story was inspired by real events, that were appropriated by the philosopher. As research continued, the myth of the lost city gained momentum and the search for the real Atlantis began. This also inspired tales of other lost civilizations that influenced many forms of contemporary fiction, from TV shows and films to comic books and video games.
The written word
There have been countless works of fiction based on Atlantis, including Pierre Benoit’s 1919 novel L’Atlantide, Frederick Tennyson’s Atlantis (1888), Mona, Queen of Lost Atlantis: An Idyllic Re-Embodiment of Long Forgotten History (1925) by James Logue Dryden, and George V. Golokhvastoff’s The Fall of Atlantis (1938). All of these works give their own interpretations of the rise and fall of the kingdom.
The digital age
In popular culture, Atlantis has appeared in over 30 video games including the successful Atlantis video game series, which featured five titles between 1997 and 2006. In the iGaming sector, slot game players can also enjoy a range of slot titles inspired by Atlantis. The most notable is Atlantean Treasures, which features an underwater setting and offers four progressive jackpot prizes. New players looking to play this Atlantis-themed slot can get free spins by visiting BonusFinder, a company that helps find the best offer and promotions. Other titles include Atlantis from Red Tiger Gaming and Secret of Atlantis from NetEnt.
Atlantis on film
In the 1970s, NBC released the fantasy series Man from Atlantis. It only ran for 13 episodes but remains something of a cult classic. The show followed the story of Mark Harris (played by Patrick Duffy), an amnesiac man thought to be the last citizen of Atlantis. In 2016, Duffy wrote a novel telling the back story of Mark Harris, revealing information not included in the TV show.
There have been more than 20 movies featuring Atlantis. The earliest was Undersea Kingdom (1936), which was similar in tone to Universal’s popular Flash Gordon series released the same year. The most recent release and perhaps the biggest Atlantis film of all time was James Wan’s Aquaman (2018), which forms part of the DC Comics universe. Jason Momoa stars as Arthur Curry (AKA Aquaman), who fights back against a plan by the seven underwater kingdoms to attack the surface world.
The search continues
Atlantis has been extensively covered in the documentary world as well. The latest effort is A Passage to Atlantis from filmmaker Paul Banseelal, due for release in 2023. The three-part series sets out to explore truths and correct misconceptions about the legends of Atlantis. It represents the director’s 27 years of research into the history and location of the lost city. Originally planned as a traditional documentary, the series is set to take on more of an adventure mystery tone.
After sparking imaginations for 2000 years, the search for the truth about the lost city of Atlantis looks set to continue.
