It has been 21 years since
the original publication back in 1995 of In Search of Prehistoric Survivors,
considered by many to be my finest cryptozoological volume. Not surprisingly,
then, in subsequent years there has been a growing, persistent clamour among
its numerous fans worldwide for me to prepare a new, updated edition. Now, at
last, fulfilling a longstanding promise, I have done so - and what an update it
is!
At over 600 pages long, with
a word count of almost 260,000, more than 300 colour and b/w illustrations
(including many stunning renditions plus spectacular cover artwork by acclaimed
crypto-artist William M. Rebsamen), and a brand-new foreword penned by fellow
crypto-chronicler Michael Newton, this is both a massively-expanded new edition
of the original volume and a valid stand-alone book in its own right, because
it contains many entirely new cryptids as well as updates for all of those
previously included here. The result is the most comprehensive documentation
and analysis ever published of those diverse mystery beasts that at one time or
another have been postulated to be bona fide prehistoric survivors.
Where it
all began, 21 years ago - the original edition, In Search Of Prehistoric Survivors, published in 1995 (© Dr Karl
Shuker)
But if these elusive beasts
do indeed exist, could they really be creatures that time forgot? From sea
serpents and lake monsters to living non-avian dinosaurs and surviving
pterodactyls, from bunyips and behemoths to Nandi bears, devil-pigs,
thunderbirds, thylacoleonids, and many many more, read the meticulous,
objective, and always scrupulously scientific assessments of each and every
cryptozoological case presented in this fascinating book, and judge for
yourself.
An ideal Christmas
present for every cryptozoological enthusiast, Still In Search Of Prehistoric Survivors can now be ordered on Amazon and
elsewhere online – click here to visit
its dedicated page on my website, which contains direct clickable links to its
purchasing pages on Amazon USA and Amazon UK respectively. And if
you order it here on Amazon USA between now and
November 28 (up to 02:59 am EST) 2016, using the promo code HOLIDAYBOOK at checkout under the "Gift cards & promotional codes" section, you will save a sizeable $10 off its selling price!!
Hi Karl. Havingowned the original book for quite some time, i've been waiting for this new edition, but can't afford the £38 amazon uk price (partly because i've just bought your nessie book ! ). Will there be a softback edition at some point perhaps do you know ?
ReplyDeleteHi there, Thanks for buying my Nessie book, which I hope that you'll enjoy. Re SISOPS: I don't know of any plans as yet for a pb (softback) edition - and because it's such a hefty book, a pb cover may not be substantial enough for it anyway. But if I learn that any such edition is going to be published, I'll definitely post details here and elsewhere. Thanks for your interest. All the best, Karl
DeleteI wasnt actually critisizing the price...not really...its just that i already have the original. Is there enough new content to tempt me to buy the new edition ?
DeleteThe new version is roughly three times the length (pages count and word count) of the original, with three times the illustration count too, so, yes, it definitely contains a lot more content than the original, no question about that at all. I received my first copies yesterday and was astonished at just how big it is compared to the original one. All the best, Karl
DeleteThis is certainly a very helpful book for realistically appraising what more creatures may still survive undetected. I think that even Karl Shuker will be surprised at how many still survive or will re-evolve in the future. For example, I think the Irish Elk will re-evolve in the future when the climate is right. The question Karl's book help's to answer is, from what species may it re-evolve? Thanks Karl. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Laurence!
DeleteFinally, I have something to respond to all those folk who keep saying, 'I don't know what to get you for Christmas. You're so difficult to buy for!'
ReplyDeleteThanks Pete!
DeleteDear dr. Karl Shuker
ReplyDeleteI like to read your books and blogs and I much admire your dedicated work and your fluent commandment af the english language. More so, than I can judge.
Then perhaps You can answer me a question, concerning a misunderstanding I have had for years - trying to understand some book titles of yours.
Could You explain to me: What does the term "prehistoric survivor" really mean?
Hardly any animal live for thousands (or even millions) of years, so that particular term and title assumingly refers to possibly still living descendents of some species, which usually are presumed to have dissappeared in prehistoric times.
As I understand the term "prehistoric survivor": Aren't we all prehistoric survivors? In a sense.
Every individual living now, is a descendant of a prehistoric ancestor. So its quite easy to find a "prehistoric survivor" - just look into a mirror!
I can't judge, whether it's proper english language to use the word survivor for a full taxon in stead of for en individual organism. That use of the word sounds strange to me - but i hope You can vouch for this explanation of the term. Alternatively - would You write down a better translation?
Neither do I understand the term "prehistoric survivor" - if viewed the other way around. Because if the organism in question is a survivor in recent times - then it cant be prehistoric. No organism is that old.
Perhaps your title is a kind of poetic language - nor to be understood as a scientific term?
Keep up the good work.
greetings
Henry Nielsen
Dear Henry Nielsen, Thanks very much for your kind words re my books. Re my usage of the term 'prehistoric survivors': I use it to refer to animal taxa that according to the currently-known fossil record have become extinct in pre-Holocene times but which, based upon claimed sightings of unidentified creatures seemingly very reminiscent of them, may still survive today, undiscovered in the living state by scientists. Examples discussed in this latest book of mine include such taxa as the chalicotheres, non-avian dinosaurs, pterosaurs, plesiosaurs, short-faced bear, teratorns, marsupial lion, and sabre-tooths (machairodontids). So yes, your fourth paragraph contains the definition that I am using (as opposed to one implying that an individual organism has survived from prehistoric times, which is obviously impossible). Hope this helps. All the best, Karl, Dr Karl Shuker
ReplyDeleteQuick question, is William Rebsamen's art from the book displayed digitally anywhere? I know a lot of it is on this blog, but some of my favourite of his illustrations (such as the HMS Fly's Longneck on pg 240 or the Basilosaurine encounter on pg 309) appear to be absent from the entire internet. A bit of an obscure/specific question, I know, but I enjoy collecting digital cryptid art so I was just wondering.
ReplyDeleteI'm really not sure about this. Bill has been a very good friend of mine for over 30 years and has always been happy to share his illustrations with me for my writings, so we communicate re this directly with one another, but he also makes his work available commercially. So perhaps he avoids making too much of it visible online in case it is utilised without his permission or knowledge? Like I say, I have no confirmed answer to this, so I suspect you'd need to contact him directly and ask..
Delete