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Eric Carstairs of Zanthodon #3
Hurok of the Stone Age
Beneath the vast and trackless Sahara there lies a cavern so immense the whole nations could be swallowed up within it. There reside in the eternal subterranean glow the last of the Cro-magnons and their rivals the Neanderthals, lost remnants of ancient surface empires, and hordes of beasts and beings from all the ages of prehistory.
Into this world, Zanthodon, penetrated the soldier-of-fortune Eric Carstairs - and immediately became embroiled in tremendous adventures!
Hurok the Neanderthal had learned the meaning of friendship from Carstairs and in return would lead an expedition of cavemen to the dinosaur-guarded city of Zar where Carstairs had fallen captive to a sadistic queen and her scheming advisors.
High adventure as only Lin Carter can tell it!
Into this world, Zanthodon, penetrated the soldier-of-fortune Eric Carstairs - and immediately became embroiled in tremendous adventures!
Hurok the Neanderthal had learned the meaning of friendship from Carstairs and in return would lead an expedition of cavemen to the dinosaur-guarded city of Zar where Carstairs had fallen captive to a sadistic queen and her scheming advisors.
High adventure as only Lin Carter can tell it!
- GenresFantasyScience Fiction
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 3, 1981
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Lin Carter
422 books171 followersLin Carter was an American author, editor, and critic best known for his influential role in fantasy literature during the mid-20th century. Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, he developed an early passion for myth, adventure stories, and imaginative fiction, drawing inspiration from authors such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, H. P. Lovecraft, and J. R. R. Tolkien. After serving in the U.S. Army, Carter attended Columbia University, where he honed his literary skills and deepened his knowledge of classical and medieval literature, myth, and folklore — elements that would become central to his work.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
Carter authored numerous novels, short stories, and critical studies, often working within the sword-and-sorcery and high fantasy traditions. His own creations, such as the “Thongor of Lemuria” series, paid homage to pulp-era adventure fiction while adding his distinctive voice and world-building style. His nonfiction book Tolkien: A Look Behind The Lord of the Rings was one of the first major studies of Tolkien’s work and its mythological roots, and it helped establish Carter as a knowledgeable commentator on fantasy literature.
Beyond his own writing, Carter was a central figure in bringing classic and forgotten works of fantasy back into print. As editor of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series from 1969 to 1974, he curated and introduced dozens of volumes, reintroducing readers to authors such as William Morris, Lord Dunsany, E. R. Eddison, and James Branch Cabell. His introductions not only contextualized these works historically and literarily but also encouraged a new generation to explore the breadth of the fantasy tradition.
Carter was also active in the shared literary universe of the “Cthulhu Mythos,” expanding upon the creations of H. P. Lovecraft and other members of the “Lovecraft Circle.” His collaborations and solo contributions in this genre further cemented his reputation as both a creative writer and a literary preservationist.
In addition to fiction and criticism, Carter was an active member of several science fiction and fantasy organizations, including the Science Fiction Writers of America. He frequently appeared at conventions, where he was known for his enthusiasm, deep knowledge of the genre, and willingness to mentor aspiring writers.
Though sometimes critiqued for the derivative nature of some of his work, Carter’s influence on the fantasy revival of the late 20th century remains significant. His combination of creative output, editorial vision, and scholarly enthusiasm helped bridge the gap between the pulp traditions of the early 1900s and the expansive fantasy publishing boom that followed.
Lin Carter’s legacy endures through his own imaginative tales, his critical studies, and the many classic works he rescued from obscurity, ensuring their place in the canon of fantasy literature for generations to come.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2014
Sigh. The details of the series have fallen away since finishing the bulk of it two years ago. And yet so much of this is the typical shenanigans that you actually need little information to ride along with the heroes as they wander the landscape on quests that don't really matter.
Practically everything in this book is connective tissue, either bringing the protagonists in separate parties to the city of Zar, or salting them away for the next book. Carter insists on time-sharing each group and showing all his work--it's not enough that a person's presence is explained in hindsight--so the reader gets all the bloody details of what happened.
The major set piece, and Carter is all about the set pieces, is the city of Zar itself, where the dissipated Minoan descendants hold court and protect their land using telepathically-controlled brontosaurs. It's a place that deserves twice the page count allocated, but the book is so inefficiently structured that the reader is never allowed to wallow in any idea that Carter brushes against.
Practically everything in this book is connective tissue, either bringing the protagonists in separate parties to the city of Zar, or salting them away for the next book. Carter insists on time-sharing each group and showing all his work--it's not enough that a person's presence is explained in hindsight--so the reader gets all the bloody details of what happened.
The major set piece, and Carter is all about the set pieces, is the city of Zar itself, where the dissipated Minoan descendants hold court and protect their land using telepathically-controlled brontosaurs. It's a place that deserves twice the page count allocated, but the book is so inefficiently structured that the reader is never allowed to wallow in any idea that Carter brushes against.
July 5, 2021
The cover to my copy of this book shows two giant stone lizard heads, baring their teeth, framing a rocky path into mountains while soldiers mounted on dinosaurs rush through. The cover artist, Josh Kirby, also did the interior illustrations.
How could I not pick it up?
This is the third book in a lost world saga; I missed a lot by not reading the first two—a lack I intend to remedy—but it was still a lot of fun. Eric Carstairs is lost in an underground world filled with mountains, plains, oceans, prehistoric monsters, strange creatures, Cro-Magnons, Neanderthals, and, for this volume, ancient Cretans. It is the latter, refugees from the lost island of Crete, who have tamed the dinosaurs.
There are also, of course, pirates. Although they don’t appear in this book, they kidnapped Eric’s love in a previous volume and he’s trying to get her back. The various landscapes, dinosaurs, and ancients stand in the way.
From the names of some of the characters—Professor Percival P. Potter, Ph.D.—to the feats of physical renown (landslide surfing may have been the most over-the-top), this is fun, not serious. But it does take itself seriously, which is one of the prerequisites for great fun.
The title character, Hurok, is the most primitive of Eric’s friends, a Neanderthal among Cro-Magnons. To the extent that there’s a point to this story other than fun, it is Hurok against the decadence typified by Crete and nascent in the slightly more civilized Cro-Magnons. Hurok leads the latter, who initially disdain him, into the city to rescue his Homo Sapiens friend, Eric.
It’s all weird and wonderful.
How could I not pick it up?
This is the third book in a lost world saga; I missed a lot by not reading the first two—a lack I intend to remedy—but it was still a lot of fun. Eric Carstairs is lost in an underground world filled with mountains, plains, oceans, prehistoric monsters, strange creatures, Cro-Magnons, Neanderthals, and, for this volume, ancient Cretans. It is the latter, refugees from the lost island of Crete, who have tamed the dinosaurs.
There are also, of course, pirates. Although they don’t appear in this book, they kidnapped Eric’s love in a previous volume and he’s trying to get her back. The various landscapes, dinosaurs, and ancients stand in the way.
From the names of some of the characters—Professor Percival P. Potter, Ph.D.—to the feats of physical renown (landslide surfing may have been the most over-the-top), this is fun, not serious. But it does take itself seriously, which is one of the prerequisites for great fun.
The title character, Hurok, is the most primitive of Eric’s friends, a Neanderthal among Cro-Magnons. To the extent that there’s a point to this story other than fun, it is Hurok against the decadence typified by Crete and nascent in the slightly more civilized Cro-Magnons. Hurok leads the latter, who initially disdain him, into the city to rescue his Homo Sapiens friend, Eric.
It’s all weird and wonderful.
January 26, 2026
Fun lost city adventure with satisfactory amounts of bare boobs, Mesozoic beasties, and a horde of determinedly aimless barbarians whose entire collective personality can be summarized with a terse, stoic grunt.
Bogged down somewhat by inconsequential subplots, not least the adventures of the titular Hurok himself, the fruits of whose cavemanly exploits untimately amount to nothing in particular.
Bogged down somewhat by inconsequential subplots, not least the adventures of the titular Hurok himself, the fruits of whose cavemanly exploits untimately amount to nothing in particular.
February 17, 2017
Good pulpy fun, obviously indebted to ERB and his Pellucidar/Caspak stories.
November 8, 2017
This one is terrible. Eric is captured by descendants of the Minoan civilization led by a beautiful but treacherous queen. They want to learn how to use firearms to conquer all of Zanthodon. Several meandering subplots involving various characters, and some soft-core porn as women are all topless and the author focuses on their breasts. Climax is a T-Rex destroying a coliseum and the Minoans are all killed. All in all a poor story with weak plot lines and no likeable characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2016
This is just a continuation of Eric Carstairs story even though it is titled Hurok of the Stone Age. Sure Hurok is featured and he does make something of himself outside of Eric's shadow, but most of the story followed Eric. After many close scrapes, too many to be real outside of fiction, we are still not close to a conclusion. There are a couple of other things I had beef with. First, the fact that several instances Eric refers to how these pre-historic people have a sort of sixth sense for direction while in truth they are always getting lost. Second, elements of the story get repeated too much. There are several instances where Eric will repeat what has just transpired a few chapters ago or tell you once again how savage and brutal this world of Zanthodon is. SO savage in fact, that up until now there have been few deaths, and those few left you feeling 'Really? Why now?!?'. This is the type of adventure story that you read and take with a grain of salt; just along for the ride.
July 24, 2008
Another Zanthodon (center earth type) book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews