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Hoka #2
Star Prince Charlie
Following the advice of his father, young Charlie Stuart travels to a planet 200 light years from Earth and there finds himself involved in a political struggle.
189 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
1 person is currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Poul Anderson
1,623 books1,110 followersPseudonym A. A. Craig, Michael Karageorge, Winston P. Sanders, P. A. Kingsley.
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
Poul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories. He received numerous awards for his writing, including seven Hugo Awards and three Nebula Awards.
Anderson received a degree in physics from the University of Minnesota in 1948. He married Karen Kruse in 1953. They had one daughter, Astrid, who is married to science fiction author Greg Bear. Anderson was the sixth President of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, taking office in 1972. He was a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America, a loose-knit group of Heroic Fantasy authors founded in the 1960s, some of whose works were anthologized in Lin Carter's Flashing Swords! anthologies. He was a founding member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his 1985 novel The Cat Who Walks Through Walls to Anderson and eight of the other members of the Citizens' Advisory Council on National Space Policy.[2][3]
Poul Anderson died of cancer on July 31, 2001, after a month in the hospital. Several of his novels were published posthumously.
Series:
* Time Patrol
* Psychotechnic League
* Trygve Yamamura
* Harvest of Stars
* King of Ys
* Last Viking
* Hoka
* Future history of the Polesotechnic League
* Flandry
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 18, 2009
Young Charlie Stuart is visting the primitive planet Talyina. With him is his alien tutor, a Hoka named Bertram. When the two get mixed up in a local political struggle, the Talyineans decide Charlie is the fabled " Prince of the Prophecy".
Bertram, with a wild imagination and a liking for play-acting--a characteristic of all Hoka--soon renames himself Hector MacGregor;. He has bagpipes made, a trartan kilt and starts referring to Charlie as "Bonnie Prince Charlie"--on a planet 200 light years from Earth!
And we are off for a short (189 pages) but fun romp by two well known sf writers. Both Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson have written straight military sf; but this is more of a gentle spoof--thought witty, not slapstick humor--with a few good ideas behind the humor.
Here is s short clip from the local minstrel's take on things : ....The Prophecy's Prince will stab them on bladepoint/Happily goes he to hack them to hash....."
Dickson and Anderson no doubt had fun writing that. You will probably have fun reading it. A quick light ,easy read by two well known sf pros. Just the ticket to pass an afternoon when you are not in the mood for more somber SF.
Bertram, with a wild imagination and a liking for play-acting--a characteristic of all Hoka--soon renames himself Hector MacGregor;. He has bagpipes made, a trartan kilt and starts referring to Charlie as "Bonnie Prince Charlie"--on a planet 200 light years from Earth!
And we are off for a short (189 pages) but fun romp by two well known sf writers. Both Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson have written straight military sf; but this is more of a gentle spoof--thought witty, not slapstick humor--with a few good ideas behind the humor.
Here is s short clip from the local minstrel's take on things : ....The Prophecy's Prince will stab them on bladepoint/Happily goes he to hack them to hash....."
Dickson and Anderson no doubt had fun writing that. You will probably have fun reading it. A quick light ,easy read by two well known sf pros. Just the ticket to pass an afternoon when you are not in the mood for more somber SF.
February 10, 2010
Fun read - if you haven't read the Hoka books - make an effort to find them. This one was intended for the young adult market and seems to lack some of the tongue-in-cheekiness of the others. Still fun, though.
Order is not hugely important.
Shared universe - Poul Anderson with Gordon R Dickson)
Earthman's Burden (1957)
Star Prince Charlie (1975)
Hoka! (1983)
Hoka! Hoka! Hoka! (1983)
Hokas Pokas (2000)
The Sound and the Furry: The Complete Hoka Stories
Order is not hugely important.
Shared universe - Poul Anderson with Gordon R Dickson)
Earthman's Burden (1957)
Star Prince Charlie (1975)
Hoka! (1983)
Hoka! Hoka! Hoka! (1983)
Hokas Pokas (2000)
The Sound and the Furry: The Complete Hoka Stories
September 15, 2025
I've owned a copy of Star Prince Charlie since it was published in 1975. I first read it at 14, and picking it up again recently, I can see why I enjoyed it back then. It’s a light, off-the-wall story, clearly written to amuse. It's clever in concept, brisk in pace, and doesn't ask much of the reader beyond a willingness to enjoy a bit of genre-blending fun. Honestly, it might even make a fun film in the hands of the right director.
Though officially book #2 in the Anderson/Dickson Hoka series, no prior reading is required. While one Hoka character appears, this is not a sequel in any meaningful sense. This is Charlie Stuart’s story.
Here’s the setup: Charlie, a human teenager, is visiting the planet Talyina, about 200 light-years from Earth, on an educational excursion with his tutor Bertram, a Hoka who takes the form of a 19th-century Oxford scholar. Their destination is a region of Talyina locked in a feudal society not unlike Earth's Middle Ages (with a few alien flourishes).
When it turns out Charlie’s red hair matches a popular local folk tale, he’s quickly swept up in a rebellion against the tyrant Olaghi. The plan? To install him as the Prince of the Prophecy, that is, provided he can complete five feats to prove he is the true prince. The mechanics of this scheme are a bit tongue-in-cheek, but they serve as the framework for the adventure that follows.
Bertram, like all Hokas, has a flair for adopting human cultures with excessive enthusiasm. Almost immediately, he transforms from Oxford don to Sir Hector MacGregor, a kilt-wearing Highlander straight out of a romantic novel. He provides comic relief throughout, though at times his speech, written phonetically to capture his Scottish brogue, can be a bit hard to decipher. Still, his loyalty to Charlie is genuine, and his theatricality as well as his steadfast method acting adds levity to the quest.
Charlie and Sir Hector are soon joined by a small group of locals: the helpful Toreg, the valiant Miska, and the politically-minded Baron Dzenko, who has his own reasons for wanting the tyrant Olaghi overthrown.
So, does it work? For what it is, yes. You get some simple but respectable portraits of the main characters that make them seem distinct, and you get a capable plot with some crafty twists. Still, don’t expect for Star Prince Charlie to aim for emotional depth. The joy is in the setup: a teenage Earthling navigating medieval alien politics, assisted by a delusional teddy bear in a kilt. And the five feats Charlie must complete offer a solid narrative backbone, even if I wish Anderson and Dickson had fleshed out the details of the first three a bit more.
The humor is light, and while not laugh-out-loud funny, it has its moments. The absurdity of the situation, especially Bertram’s full commitment to his Scottish persona, carries the tone. There’s a touch of satire, but nothing biting; it’s more light-hearted parody than critique.
The writing is clean and highly competent, a collaboration by authors who make good storytelling look easy. The worldbuilding is suggestive rather than immersive, offering enough detail to support the story without bogging it down. It’s all fairly lean, possibly too lean for some readers, but never boring.
Will Star Prince Charlie appeal to everyone? Probably not. It's not serious science fiction, and it’s not meant to be. Adult readers might find it too silly or insubstantial, while younger readers might not catch all the historical or literary nods. Regardless, for the right reader in the right mood, it’s clever, breezy, and fun.
Is it a forgotten classic? Possibly. It’s a smart little adventure, worth a read if you enjoy sci-fi with a side of satire and a dash of medieval cosplay. I’ve never read another novel quite like it.
Though officially book #2 in the Anderson/Dickson Hoka series, no prior reading is required. While one Hoka character appears, this is not a sequel in any meaningful sense. This is Charlie Stuart’s story.
Here’s the setup: Charlie, a human teenager, is visiting the planet Talyina, about 200 light-years from Earth, on an educational excursion with his tutor Bertram, a Hoka who takes the form of a 19th-century Oxford scholar. Their destination is a region of Talyina locked in a feudal society not unlike Earth's Middle Ages (with a few alien flourishes).
When it turns out Charlie’s red hair matches a popular local folk tale, he’s quickly swept up in a rebellion against the tyrant Olaghi. The plan? To install him as the Prince of the Prophecy, that is, provided he can complete five feats to prove he is the true prince. The mechanics of this scheme are a bit tongue-in-cheek, but they serve as the framework for the adventure that follows.
Bertram, like all Hokas, has a flair for adopting human cultures with excessive enthusiasm. Almost immediately, he transforms from Oxford don to Sir Hector MacGregor, a kilt-wearing Highlander straight out of a romantic novel. He provides comic relief throughout, though at times his speech, written phonetically to capture his Scottish brogue, can be a bit hard to decipher. Still, his loyalty to Charlie is genuine, and his theatricality as well as his steadfast method acting adds levity to the quest.
Charlie and Sir Hector are soon joined by a small group of locals: the helpful Toreg, the valiant Miska, and the politically-minded Baron Dzenko, who has his own reasons for wanting the tyrant Olaghi overthrown.
So, does it work? For what it is, yes. You get some simple but respectable portraits of the main characters that make them seem distinct, and you get a capable plot with some crafty twists. Still, don’t expect for Star Prince Charlie to aim for emotional depth. The joy is in the setup: a teenage Earthling navigating medieval alien politics, assisted by a delusional teddy bear in a kilt. And the five feats Charlie must complete offer a solid narrative backbone, even if I wish Anderson and Dickson had fleshed out the details of the first three a bit more.
The humor is light, and while not laugh-out-loud funny, it has its moments. The absurdity of the situation, especially Bertram’s full commitment to his Scottish persona, carries the tone. There’s a touch of satire, but nothing biting; it’s more light-hearted parody than critique.
The writing is clean and highly competent, a collaboration by authors who make good storytelling look easy. The worldbuilding is suggestive rather than immersive, offering enough detail to support the story without bogging it down. It’s all fairly lean, possibly too lean for some readers, but never boring.
Will Star Prince Charlie appeal to everyone? Probably not. It's not serious science fiction, and it’s not meant to be. Adult readers might find it too silly or insubstantial, while younger readers might not catch all the historical or literary nods. Regardless, for the right reader in the right mood, it’s clever, breezy, and fun.
Is it a forgotten classic? Possibly. It’s a smart little adventure, worth a read if you enjoy sci-fi with a side of satire and a dash of medieval cosplay. I’ve never read another novel quite like it.
April 7, 2023
Eh. I guess it was supposed to be humorous, but it didn't work for me at all. The plot was almost non-existent. Just characters having "funny" conversations that weren't funny because, frankly, the "humor" was mostly based on the fact that one of them had a strong Scottish accent. DNF
March 22, 2024
I had read some other books of the Hoka very long ago as a child and remembered them with vague fondness. I’ve never heard of this one before so but read it on the Internet archive, it was OK but definitely dated. The whole concept of the Hoka is cute though.
June 1, 2017
Fun, and a good mix of Dickson's Hoka series with Anderson's future history, but not the best from either of them.
August 2, 2022
Charlie's adventures make for an engaging read. He's caught up in events when he's mistaken for the subject of a prophesy because of his red hair.
I'll put it back into my library for a re-read.
I'll put it back into my library for a re-read.
July 8, 2020
"Star Prince Charlie" is the second of Anderson and Dickson's Hoka series. Written 18 years after the original book, it doesn't have quite the readability and charm of the first book - or maybe it's just that during the 18 years, it only seems that way to me.
I did find this book to be fun and enjoyable, and can highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for light science fiction entertainment. But don't expect it to be quite as good as the first. But "Earthman's Burden" did set a very high standard.
I did find this book to be fun and enjoyable, and can highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for light science fiction entertainment. But don't expect it to be quite as good as the first. But "Earthman's Burden" did set a very high standard.
February 12, 2008
I enjoyed this immensely. Just a fun read.
May 6, 2012
Good fun SF book by two of the best SF authors
February 15, 2022
A classic boy's adventure story, a fun read.
April 7, 2016
I read this as part of the "Hokas Pokas" anthology--see my review here: http://www.skjam.com/2016/04/07/book-...
January 22, 2011
Grade A
April 20, 2017
Not much to recommend here. I basically read it due to the fact that I've enjoyed many other Poul Anderson novels-- especially the Time Patrol series. This one is rather flat and unimaginative. T make matters worse the Scottish accent used by one of the main characters is often difficult to interpret.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews