The Hungry Hercynian

"The Hungry Hercynian"
Lawrence Sterne Stevens’s illustration of a scene from the story in Universe Science Fiction magazine
Author	L. Sprague de Camp
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Pusadian series
Genre(s)	Fantasy short story
Published in	Universe Science Fiction
Media type	Print (Magazine)
Publication date	December, 1953
Preceded by	"The Owl and the Ape"
Followed by	"The Stone of the Witch Queen"

"The Hungry Hercynian" is a fantasy story written by L. Sprague de Camp as part of his Pusadian series. It was first published in the magazine Universe Science Fiction for December, 1953, and first appeared in book form in the anthology The Spell of Seven, edited by de Camp (Pyramid Books, 1965). It has also been translated into German, and was first brought together with other works of de Camp in the German collection Die Chronik von Poseidonis (Pabel, 1978).^[1]

Plot summary

The fugitive Gezun of Lorsk, seeking his fortune in the great city of Torrutseish, becomes enamoured of the slave girl Yorida. At his urging she flees with him from the house of her master, the wizard Derezong Taash, only to be kidnapped by the conspirator Lord Noish as a pawn in the latter's plot to attain the position of chief minister to the king. Noish intends to use the girl as a bribe to secure the aid of the cannibalistic Hercynian shaman Zyc. Gezun must somehow spirit her out of the clutches of the nefarious duo while there is still time.

Noish successfully deposes Lord Haldu, the chief minister, using Zyc's magical truth drug, but then refuses payment to the wizard Bokari, who recommended Zyc, thus offending him. When Noish finally captures Yorida and delivers her to Zyc and his servant Kumo, the so-called Yorida is revealed to be a magical simulcrum. Enraged, Zyc and Kumo kill and eat Noish whilst Yorida remains more-or-less contentedly with Derezong and Gezun leaves for more profitable pastures.

Chronologically, "The Hungry Hercynian" is the fourth of de Camp's Pusadian tales, and the second to feature his protagonists Gezun of Lorsk, Derezong Taash, and Zhamel Seh.^[1]

Setting

In common with the other Pusadian tales, "The Hungry Hercynian" takes place in a prehistoric era during which a magic-based Atlantian civilization supposedly throve in what was then a single continent consisting of Eurasia joined with Africa, and in the islands to the west. It is similar in conception to Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age, by which it was inspired, but more astutely constructed, utilizing actual Ice Age geography in preference to a wholly invented one. In de Camp's scheme, the legend of this culture that came down to classic Greece as "Atlantis" was a garbled memory that conflated the mighty Tartessian Empire with the island continent of Pusad and the actual Atlantis, a barbaric mountainous region that is today the Atlas mountain range.

Critical reception

Groff Conklin described the Pusadian series as being "in the Conan tradition in every sense of the word, though better written."^[2]

Notes

1 2 Laughlin, Charlotte; Daniel J. H. Levack (1983). De Camp: An L. Sprague de Camp Bibliography. San Francisco: Underwood/Miller. pp. 182–183.
↑ "Galaxy's 5 Star Shelf", Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1954, p.122

Preceded by "The Owl and the Ape"	Pusadian series "The Hungry Hercynian"	Succeeded by "The Stone of the Witch Queen"

Works by L. Sprague de Camp

Viagens Interplanetarias

Krishna	"Finished" (1949) "Perpetual Motion" (1950) The Queen of Zamba (1949) "Calories" (1951) The Hand of Zei (1950) The Hostage of Zir (1977) The Prisoner of Zhamanak (1982) The Virgin of Zesh (1953) The Bones of Zora (1983) The Tower of Zanid (1958) The Swords of Zinjaban (1991)

Kukulkan	The Stones of Nomuru (1988) The Venom Trees of Sunga (1992)

Other	"The Animal-Cracker Plot" (1949) "The Colorful Character" (1949) "The Continent Makers" (1951) "The Galton Whistle" (1951) "Git Along!" (1950) "The Inspector's Teeth" (1950) Rogue Queen (1951) "Summer Wear" (1950)

Collections	The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens (1953) The Virgin of Zesh & The Tower of Zanid (1983)

Harold Shea (with Fletcher Pratt and others)

de Camp/ Pratt canon	"The Roaring Trumpet" (1940) "The Mathematics of Magic" (1940) The Castle of Iron (1941/50) "The Wall of Serpents" (1953) "The Green Magician" (1954) "Sir Harold and the Gnome King" (1990) "Sir Harold of Zodanga" (1995)

Collections	The Incomplete Enchanter (1941) Wall of Serpents (collection) (1960) The Compleat Enchanter (1975) The Complete Compleat Enchanter (1989) The Enchanter Reborn (1992) The Exotic Enchanter (1995) The Mathematics of Magic (2007)

Pusadian series

Stories	The Tritonian Ring (1951) "The Eye of Tandyla" (1951) "The Owl and the Ape" (1951) "The Hungry Hercynian" (1953) "The Stone of the Witch Queen" (1977) "Ka the Appalling" (1958) "The Rug and the Bull" (1974) "The Stronger Spell" (1953)

Collections	The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales (1953)

Novarian series

Stories	"The Emperor's Fan" (1973) The Fallible Fiend (1973) The Goblin Tower (1968) The Clocks of Iraz (1971) The Unbeheaded King (1983) The Honorable Barbarian (1989)

Collections	The Reluctant King (1985)

Neo-Napolitanian series

Novels	The Incorporated Knight (1987) The Pixilated Peeress (1991)

Conan series (with Robert E. Howard and others)

Novels	Conan and the Spider God (1980) Conan of the Isles (1968) Conan the Barbarian (1982) Conan the Buccaneer (1971) Conan the Liberator (1979) The Return of Conan (1957)

Short stories	"Black Sphinx of Nebthu" (1973) "The Treasure of Tranicos" (1953) "Black Tears" (1968) "The Blood-Stained God" (1955) "The Castle of Terror" (1969) "The City of Skulls" (1967) "The Curse of the Monolith" (1968) "Drums of Tombalku" (1966) The Flame Knife (1955/81) "The Frost Giant's Daughter" Conan (1953) "The Gem in the Tower" (1978) "The God in the Bowl" (1952) "The Hall of the Dead" (1967) "Hawks Over Shem" (1955) "The Ivory Goddess" (1978) "The Lair of the Ice Worm" (1969) "Legions of the Dead" (1978) "Moon of Blood" (1978) "The People of the Summit" (1970/78) "Red Moon of Zembabwei" (1974) "The Road of the Eagles" (1955) "Shadows in the Dark" (1978) "Shadows in the Skull" (1975) "The Snout in the Dark" (1969) "The Star of Khorala" (1978) "The Thing in the Crypt" (1967) "The Witch of the Mists" (1972) "Wolves Beyond the Border" (1967)

Collections	Conan (1967) The Conan Chronicles (1989) The Conan Chronicles 2 (1990) Conan of Aquilonia (1977) Conan of Cimmeria (1969) Conan the Adventurer (1966) Conan the Avenger (1968) Conan the Freebooter (1968) Conan the Swordsman (1978) Conan the Usurper (1967) Conan the Wanderer (1968) Sagas of Conan (2004) Tales of Conan (1955) The Treasure of Tranicos (1980)

Other speculative fiction

Novels	The Carnelian Cube (1948) Genus Homo (1950) The Glory That Was (1960) The Great Fetish (1978) Land of Unreason (1942) Lest Darkness Fall (1941) None But Lucifer (1939) Solomon's Stone (1942)

Short stories	"Aristotle and the Gun" (1958) "The Blue Giraffe" (1939) "The Command" (1938) "Divide and Rule" (1939) "Employment" (1939) "The Gnarly Man" (1939) "A Gun for Dinosaur" (1956) "The Hardwood Pile" (1940) "Hyperpilosity" (1938) "Internal Combustion" (1956) "The Isolinguals" (1937) "Judgment Day" (1955) "Living Fossil" (1939) "The Merman" (1938) "Nothing in the Rules" (1939) "The Reluctant Shaman" (1947) "The Stolen Dormouse" (1941) "The Wheels of If" (1940)

Collections	Aristotle and the Gun (2002) The Best of L. Sprague de Camp (1978) Divide and Rule (1948) Footprints on Sand (1981) A Gun for Dinosaur (1963) The Purple Pterodactyls (1980) The Reluctant Shaman (1970) Rivers of Time (1993) Scribblings (1972) Sprague de Camp's New Anthology (1953) Tales from Gavagan's Bar (1953/78) The Undesired Princess (1951) The Virgin & the Wheels (1976) The Wheels of If (1948) Years in the Making (2005)

Historical fiction

Novels	The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961) The Arrows of Hercules (1965) An Elephant for Aristotle (1958) The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960) The Golden Wind (1969)

Fiction edited

Anthologies	The Fantastic Swordsmen (1967) The Spell of Seven (1965) Swords and Sorcery (1963) Tales Beyond Time (1973) 3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1972) Warlocks and Warriors (1970)

Single author	Conan the Conqueror (1967) Conan the Warrior (1967) The Wolf Leader (1950)

Nonfiction

Science and history	The Ancient Engineers (1963) Ancient Ruins and Archaeology (1964) Antarctic Conquest (1949) The Ape-Man Within (1995) Darwin and His Great Discovery (1972) The Day of the Dinosaur (1968) Elephant (1964) Energy and Power (1962) Engines (1959) The Evolution of Naval Weapons (1947) The Fringe of the Unknown (1983) Great Cities of the Ancient World (1972) The Great Monkey Trial (1968) The Heroic Age of American Invention (1961) Inventions and Their Management (1937) Man and Power (1961) The Ragged Edge of Science (1980) Rubber Dinosaurs and Wooden Elephants (1996) Spirits, Stars, and Spells (1966) The Story of Science in America (1967)

Lit crit and biography	Blond Barbarians and Noble Savages (1975) The Conan Reader (1968) Dark Valley Destiny (1983) Lands Beyond (1952) Literary Swordsmen and Sorcerers (1976) Lost Continents (1954) Lovecraft: A Biography (1975) The Miscast Barbarian (1975) Science-Fiction Handbook (1953/75) Time and Chance (1996)

Nonfiction edited

Multi-author	The Blade of Conan (1979) The Conan Grimoire (1972) The Conan Swordbook (1969) The Spell of Conan (1980)

Single author	To Quebec and the Stars (1976)

Poetry

Demons and Dinosaurs (1970) Heroes and Hobgoblins (1981) Phantoms and Fancies (1972)

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