Book Review: Still in Search of Prehistoric Survivors by Karl Shuker

In late 2016, Karl Shuker's book Still in Search of Prehistoric Survivors: The Creatures that Time Forgot? was published. It is an updated edition of his 1995 book In Search of Prehistoric Survivors, but is almost like a new book in itself. Whereas the 1995 PS is close to 200 pages, SISPS comes to around 600! It's a truely massive book, and one that should not be overlooked by those with an interest in cryptozoology.

While being close to 600 pages long, the book only has 5 chapters (plus forwards, introduction, stop press etc), each focusing on a different type of potential prehistoric survivor. Chapter one focuses on dinosaurs and creatures of that sort, like mokele-mbembe, "river dinosaurs" in the USA, a strange stegosaur-esque carvings on a Cambodian temple, the Partridge Creek Monster, etc, etc. Chapter two is all about flying things, from pterosaurs to teratorns. Chapter three focuses on aquatic cryptids that may be prehistoric survivors, featuring of course many lake and sea monsters that people think could be surviving plesiosaurs, plus things that sound like surviving pliosaurs and other aquatic beasties. Chapter four takes a look at prehistoric mammals, from saber-toothed cats to ground sloths, chalicotheres, and giraffes with moose horns. Chapter five is basically a summary of everything Shuker discusses in the book, and there are a few more stories added at the very end that he received more recently than all the others.

This book is one of the best on cryptozoology I've ever read, and those interested in paleontology would enjoy it as well. It has actually re-ignited my interest in prehistoric animals that I had for many years but which had died down in more recent ones.

You can get Still in Search of Prehistoric Survivors here.

Check out Karl's blog here.


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