History Main / LostColony

* The main setting of the ''Blue Planet'' RPG is a planet named "Poseidon" that used to be one of these -- the Earth used a stable wormhole discovered at the edge of the Solar System to travel to it, and the wormhole collapsed for several years before reappearing recently in the setting's 'current day'. The result of almost two decades without contact was that the original colonists created their own society, and the conflict is now of the original natives that don't like either colonist group, the older colonists that want to defend what they built, and the new arrivals that are mostly members of the new Earth governments and mega-corporations.

* In season two of ''LetsPlay/StellarisInvicta'', the Antares Confederacy was founded by the [[WhatDidYouExpectWhenYouNamedIt Earhart]] colonization fleet after a wormhole accident took them to a star system filled with {{Death World}}s instead of the already colonized system they were heading towards. Remarkably, they survived, [[spoiler:and later found out that, given [[VichyEarth what happened to Earth]] while they were gone, they were lucky to have been on the other side of the galaxy without any contact with home when it happened]].

* The Titanian Eternals of the MarvelUniverse were an offshoot of the Eternals of Earth (a HumanSubspecies engineered by the Celestials) who left the planet in the aftermath of a civil war hundreds of thousands of years ago and settled on Saturn's moon Titan. The most infamous member of the race is the Mad Titan ComicBook/{{Thanos}}. Meaning Thanos is technically human.

* ''WebOriginal/OrionsArm'': The exodus from [[EarthThatWas Old Earth]] following the nanodisaster resulted in many Lost Colonies, though most were re-contacted when the [[TheFederation First Federation]] was formed or sometime later in the next 10,000 years. The Metasoft Version Tree maintains "baseline preserves" that are essentially intentional lost colonies. The original colonists were baseline humans who wanted to leave Sephirotic civilization and paid Metasoft for worlds where they could preserve their culture undisturbed, although at least one preserve world has rediscovered space travel and rejoined interstellar civilization.

** ''Series/StarTrekDiscovery'' has the titular ship discovering a planet populated by the descendants of a hundred or so humans, rescued by a mysterious angelic figure at the height of WorldWarIII from a church. Without any technological base, they have reverted to an agrarian lifestyle. Unable to figure out which religion adequately explains what happened, they have chosen to create an InterfaithSmoothie out of all major Earth religions. Most thing that Earth destroyed itself during the war and that they are the last humans in existence. Some believe differently. Since they were taken from Earth without a ship and aren't even close to being warp-capable, Pike insists on keeping to the Prime Directive at any cost.

[[folder:Film]]

* Used ''in spades'' in ''Series/{{Battlestar Galactica|2003}}''. The Twelve Colonies are lost colonies of Kobol, whose civilization was destroyed by [[spoiler: a civil war between humans and Cylons.]] The Colonists spend much of the series looking for Earth, Kobol's other lost colony, before discovering that [[spoiler: it's [[ShootTheShaggyDog a nuclear wasteland as the result of another human-Cylon conflict.]]]] Ultimately, [[spoiler: our Earth is revealed to be their lost colony which they settled on 150,000 years ago.]]

** During the voyage to Hiigara the Kushan the Kadeshi, who are eventually relieved to descend from the Hiigarans like the Kushan when a ship of the same type as the ''Khar-toba'' is discovered. Differently from the Kushan they remember where they came from and why, and their hostility comes from the fact they're ''terrified'' the Taiidan will track them down and wipe them out, and thus kill everyone who passes in their territory to avoid them bringing back news of their existence.

* The big SequelHook[=/=]WhamLine of ''VideoGame/TheOuterWorlds'' is that [[spoiler:Halcyon has become a lost colony. All communication with Earth has been silent for 3 years. Leaving the already faltering system completely alone.]]

* ''Series/{{Firefly}}'': The entire setting is technically one of these, although it doesn't really come up except as background worldbuilding. Every character is descended from people who fled impending environmental catastrophe on EarthThatWas aboard GenerationShips and/or SleeperStarships. What happened to the people left behind, or to any colony ships that were heading for other star systems, is anyone's guess in or out of universe.

** ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' had the crew visiting one that was mysteriously lost, at the time Earth didn't have fast enough ships to check up on it and they didn't ask the Vulcans for some reason.[[note]]Probably related to Vulcans being a HigherTechSpecies and having a tendency to be a bit condescending about it, [[ScrewYouElves which humanity was not pleased about]].[[/note]] A natural disaster occurred but the colonists assumed it was a revenge attack from Earth after they separated; only the children survived living a primitive life in caves shielded from the radiation. They believe themselves to be aliens, and that humans attacked them all those years ago, so are mistrustful when the Enterprise crew turn up.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'':

* The Khevsur people from Georgia were regarded as descendants of [[UsefulNotes/TheCrusades European Crusaders]] who settled in a very remote region where they were frozen in time, still dressing in medieval armor adorned with crosses and holy icons. During UsefulNotes/WorldWarI, American adventurer Richard Halliburton witnessed them and wrote about how they volunteered to join the Russian army... while still dressed like crusaders.

In some cases, a colony leader or faction may intentionally destroy the communications gear or [[VehicularSabotage sabotage the space vessels]] to [[IChooseToStay ensure that there is no rescue, and keep the colony isolated]]. Maybe they think [[LuddWasRight advanced tech is evil]]. Maybe they fear a reprisal if Earth finds them.

In some cases, a colony leader or faction may intentionally destroy the communications gear or [[VehicularSabotage sabotage the space vessels]] to [[IChooseToStay ensure that there is no rescue, and keep the colony isolated]].

In some cases, a colony leader or faction may intentionally destroy the communications gear or space vessels [[IChooseToStay to ensure that there is no rescue, and keep the colony isolated]].

A human colony on another planet experiences a disaster which [[RadioDiesFirst destroys its communications]] or space travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. In some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.

A human colony on another planet experiences a disaster which destroys its communications or space travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. In some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.

Less commonly, a Lost Colony can occur in an isolated region of Earth, such as a hidden valley, rainforest, or [[{{Robinsonade}} shipwrecked]] on an [[DesertIsland uncharted island]]. The lost people may thrive in their isolated paradise, struggle to eke out an existence, or GoMadFromTheIsolation.

Less commonly, a Lost Colony can occur in an isolated region of Earth, such as a hidden valley, rainforest, or [[{{Robinsonade}} shipwrecked on an uncharted island]].

In some cases, a colony leader or faction may intentionally destroy the communications gear or space vessels [[IChooseTo Stay to ensure that there is no rescue, and keep the colony isolated]].

In some cases, a colony leader or faction may intentionally destroy the communications gear or space vessels to ensure that the colony stays isolated.

Less commonly, a Lost Colony can occur in an isolated region of Earth, such as a hidden valley, rainforest, or uncharted island.

* On a smaller scale is UsefulNotes/TheLostColonyOfRoanoke, NC. A small English colony was founded on Roanoke island in 1584, but vanished by 1589 under mysterious circumstances. Since the 1930s, it's been celebrated in an outdoor drama near the original colony site, and figures heavily in various conspiracy-themed RolePlayingGames. In modern times, the general consensus is that, after various setbacks, the colonists gave up waiting for the promised resupply ships and moved in with the Croatoan tribe.

A human colony on another planet, or less commonly, in an isolated region of Earth, experiences a disaster which destroys its communications or travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. In some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.

A human colony on another planet, or less commonly, in an isolated region of Earth, experiences a disaster which destroys its communications or space travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. In some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.

A human colony on another planet experiences a disaster which destroys its communications or space travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. In some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.

A human colony on another planet experiences a disaster which destroys its communications or space travel capability, and for some reason the rest of humanity never checks up on that colony with which it suddenly lost all contact. On some cases, the colony may still have comms, but Earth has faced a calamity or apocalypse, so there's no one answering at Mission Control.