When fantasy author Lin Carter falls through a mystical portal to the jungle moon Callisto, he embarks on a thrilling interplanetary adventure. Befriending a loyal beast called Bozo and a young warrior named Taran, Carter battles vastodons, joins the crew of a mighty sky-ship fleet, and infiltrates the lair of the sinister Mind Wizards. With new friends Jandar and Glypto, Carter strives to defeat the wizardly foe and unlock the secrets of Callisto before returning home. This suspenseful tale blends science fantasy and sword-and-sorcery for an exhilarating extraterrestrial escapade.
The Wizard of Zao is a fantasy novel by Lin Carter, first published in 1978. The story is set in a mythical world and follows the adventures of a wizard named Zao and his companions. Zao embarks on a quest involving ancient powers and mystical realms, with Carter's signature blend of humor and adventure. The book is part of Carter's larger body of work known for drawing inspiration from classic fantasy tropes and his homage to authors like Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Lord Dunsany.
Jonathan Dark, an airplane pilot transporting medical supplies in Southeast Asia, is forced down in the jungles of Cambodia, where he slides into a well and teleports to another world.
Far from his adopted home, the Golden City of Shondakor, Koja, self-exiled insectoid of the Yathoon Horde, has blundered into the savage land he had renounced, accompanied only by little Taran, ward of Prince Jandar. Lost in the treacherous scarlet plains, the two are hurled to separate, unnamable fates - Taran forsaken in shackles, along with the lovely Princess Xara, while the renegade Koja is locked on a perilous course of vengeance for the evils done to his clan. All destinies collide at the Great Yathoon Games in the hidden valley of Sargol - the impenetrable citadel girdled by a seething mote of flames.
Like its companion volume, "The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction", this massive reference of 4,000 entries covers all aspects of fantasy, from literature to art.
Jonathan Dark, or Jandar, is mysteriously transported from Earth to the Jovian moon of Callisto (or Thanator), and has succeeded in freeing the city of Shondakar from the occupying Black Legion and the opportunistic Zandaharian Sky Pirates. The only problem is that Shondakar's rightful ruler, the princess Darloona, has been abducted by the fleeing Prince Thuton of Zandahar. To free her, Jandar takes one of the Sky Pirates' captured airships to raid the enemy city.