Shar-La is the queen of Atlantis, “a fantastic city beneath the ocean” that is “encased in a bubble-like plastic dome,” who has made the daring decision, since shifting ocean currents threaten her society with extinction, to break their centuries-long tradition of obscuring their existence from the surface world in order to seek their aid. When U.S. Navy submarine R-93 dives past a safe depth and begins to fail, Captain Small, Huey, and Robert Crane are rescued by the Atlantean Fishmen Ssil-Il, Lor-Shim, and Fen-Ac. The surface dwellers are taken to the domed city Atlantis where Shar-La, Queen of Atlantis, greets them. She explains how the Atlantean advanced technology had broken down, and they would die in four years if they could not get it working. The Navy men hook up their submarine’s atomic engines to the sunken city’s dynamos and jump start it. Crane falls in love with Shar-La, and she with him. She announces to Elder Valyon her desire to marry Crane. Valyon starts a riot to stop the marriage. The rioting causes the city to crumble. Huey and Captain Small leave by an escape route constructed by Ssil-Il. Shar-La is not prepared to admit defeat, and wants Crane to stay with her. As the city becomes unstable, Crane tries to make her leave with him. She reminds him that she cannot survive on the surface. Crane remains with her as the city is destroyed. Captain Small and Huey make it to the surface, although they do not think they can make people believe their story.
Description Shar-La is the queen of Atlantis, “a fantastic city beneath the ocean” that is “encased in a bubble-like plastic dome,” who has made the daring decision, since shifting ocean currents threaten her society with extinction, to break their centuries-long tradition of obscuring their existence from the surface world in order to seek their aid. When U.S. Navy submarine R-93 dives past a safe depth and begins to fail, Captain Small, Huey, and Robert Crane are rescued by the Atlantean Fishmen Ssil-Il, Lor-Shim, and Fen-Ac. The surface dwellers are taken to the domed city Atlantis where Shar-La, Queen of Atlantis, greets them. She explains how the Atlantean advanced technology had broken down, and they would die in four years if they could not get it working. The Navy men hook up their submarine’s atomic engines to the sunken city’s dynamos and jump start it. Crane falls in love with Shar-La, and she with him. She announces to Elder Valyon her desire to marry Crane. Valyon starts a riot to stop the marriage. The rioting causes the city to crumble. Huey and Captain Small leave by an escape route constructed by Ssil-Il. Shar-La is not prepared to admit defeat, and wants Crane to stay with her. As the city becomes unstable, Crane tries to make her leave with him. She reminds him that she cannot survive on the surface. Crane remains with her as the city is destroyed. Captain Small and Huey make it to the surface, although they do not think they can make people believe their story.
