Book question.

[ceebee_eebee]

Ok. As I'm sure most of you are aware, I am an extremely monomaniacal individual. My obsessions come hard and fast and then they are done when I move onto the next shiny thing that I can't stop thinking about for more than 5 seconds at a time.

On occasion, I have obsessions that crop up again and again. One of those is...well, paleontology in a general sense. The Cambrian explosion, trilobites, dimetrodons, the Permian mass extinction, DINOSAURS!!!

So, when the Discovery Channel started showing the new miniseries Clash of the Dinosaurs (AWESOME, BTW!) I got hooked and now I can't stop thinking about this shit. I've already ordered a bunch of scientific books for the layperson on the subjects and reread Jurassic Park and the Lost World.

HERE IS MY QUESTION, GREAT FLIST. Why the hell isn't there more dinosaur fiction available? I NEED MORE DINO FIC!

If you have read anything that a lover of extinct creatures and the whole Jurassic Park situation might enjoy, PLEASE REC IT TO ME RIGHT NOW! I beg you. I'm desperate for more paleo-fiction.

Comments

[kindkit.livejournal.com]

I have no fic recs, but I wanted to say that I share your enthusiasm for the Cambrian explosion. *hugs Stephen Jay Gould's Wonderful Life tightly*

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

That's one of the ones I ordered. I'm so glad you love it! I'm crazy excited to read it and the one that came after, Crucible of Creation. MUST HAVE MORE!

[butterflysteve.livejournal.com]

DINOTOPIA. Well the mini series more than the tv series. It was awesome. The characters were cool, it has creepy David Thewlis?Thlewis?CREEPYMOUSTACHELUPIN in it and it's awesome. It's based on a pretty cool series of books, I think childrens but still good books.

Also in the same tv vein, a british series called Primeval? It's fantastic, naff effects but still v. good.

Fictionwise? Mmmm lemme think and get back to you.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

Primeval. Hmmm. I seem to recall some people on my flist getting really into that. I shall investigate further...

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

have you ever read sir arthur conan doyle's the lost world? it's great fun, though obviously not terribly scientifically accurate as it was written in about 1906. there's also a sequel to that written by greg bear, dinosaur summer which is set in an alternate universe where the events of the lost world really happened and affected human society and there are dinosaur corcuses and such. also ray harryhausen is a character in the book!

i've always loved everything written by stephen jay gould. meanwhile i am so behind on the scientific books for the layman. bob bakker and john horner and michael novacek are all a bit out of date :( list some of the ones you've ordered cos i want to catch up!

edit: although bakker did write a book about the life of a velociraptor called raptor red. also there was a short-lived comic series in the nineties by steve bissette about the birth and life of a tyrannosaurus rex. only four issues ever published, which is sad because it was brilliant.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

Hell yes! Back when I was little (I mean not SUPER little, but you understand) my dad and I read all the Conan Doyle books together. ;-)

I've uncovered a few cool looking fiction works but it looks like most are out of print or only available online which is SO FRIGGIN ANNOYING BECAUSE I WANT THEM NOW NOW NOW!!!

Speaking of Bob Bakker, this looks pretty cool:

Raptor Red (http://www.amazon.com/Raptor-Red-Robert-T-Bakker/dp/0553575619/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260294382&sr=8-4)

As for the ones I ordered, I only got three to start with or I'll get overwhelmed. I got the Gould book. And also these two which had the best reviews:

Crucible of Creation (http://www.amazon.com/Crucible-Creation-Burgess-Shale-Animals/dp/0192862022/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260294467&sr=1-1)

When Life Nearly Died (http://www.amazon.com/When-Life-Nearly-Died-Extinction/dp/050028573X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1260294493&sr=1-1)

Once I get sick of the Cambrian Era I'll probably start in on the Dino science books. If you have any recs, I'll gladly take those.

ETA: Oops. I missed YOUR ETA. ;-)

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

lols, i was editing in the raptor red thing while you were replying. i remember when it came out, even though i still haven't read it. also:

http://comicimpact.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/tyrant4-mouth_jpg_300x1000_q85.jpg

although one of the best dinosaur illustrators *and* researchers around is definitely gregory paul, so i reccomend anything he's worked on. apparently he's got a new book coming out soon. yay!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/04/africa_enl_1101130243/img/1.jpg

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Comic Impact objects to deep-linking, woe, but that second illo is ace!

[amaresu]

All I've got is Threshold by Caitlin R Kiernan. It's a very Lovecrafty type horror, but trilobites are a key plot point.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

Ooo! That looks VERY interesting! It's on the list. Thanks, babe. <3

[amaresu]

The writing style takes a bit of getting used to, but after I got used to it I think it added to the book. I need to check out some of her other books to see if the Lovecraft feel was a one off or not.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

Ugh. I totally never got this comment. Anyway, I think I'm gonna try and find this book next. I'm VERY intrigued.

[amaresu]

I've been having comments popping up in batches all day long.

She seems pretty easy to find at used bookstores if you have one near you. Hope you like it.

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

I can't help you with the Dino Fic, but I do feel you on the monomania angle.

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

I don't doubt it. I bet most of our flists would agree. ;-)

[futuresoon.livejournal.com]

*delurks* One of my favorite books is Dinosaur Summer, by Greg Bear--it's sort of a pastiche on The Lost World and King Kong, and it's written very much from a fanboy perspective on the two. Plus it's just really well-written in general, and the whole atmosphere is interesting--it takes place in the thirties, well after 'dinosaur circuses' using creatures from basically-the-Lost-World are old hat and nobody really cares about them any more, and the main plot is about the last circus owner in the US taking his performers back to where they came from. It's just a really good book. *relurks*

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

I saw that one on amazon. Definitely putting it on the list. Thanks, sweetpea. <3

[vann.livejournal.com]

I've never much done the dinosaur thing, but I feel you on the monomania (hee what a fun word). I've only recently started being able to juggle more than one fannish interest at a time, and it's only been with a lot of work and intentional dedication.

Hope you find some nice dinosaurs! XD

[elyssadc.livejournal.com]

I still can't do that! You've got me beat. I'm so crap when it comes to trying to juggle fandoms.

[ravenskyewalker.livejournal.com]

Aww, prof_pangaea beat me to the Raptor Red mention. It's from 1995 and I've still never read it, but my sister did and found it unique, because it was a story told from the viewpoint of a female Utahraptor.

Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear has also already been mentioned.

You might want to try Bones of the Earth by Michael Swanwick (from 2002).

There are Anonymous Rex (2000), Casual Rex (2001), and Hot and Sweaty Rex (2004) by Eric Garcia -- the series is called Dinosaur Mafia Mysteries. Yes, a private detective who happens to be a dinosaur, LOL.

I've seen a 2006 novel called Thunder of Time by James F. David -- time travel with dinosaurs, I think. Something about it gave me a sneaking suspicion of badness, but I could well be wrong.

There's Cretaceous Dawn by Lisa M. Graziano (from 2008). It's called a first-class adventure story, and also refers to hard science. Sounds interesting.

There are also loads and loads of kids' books re: dinosaurs, both fiction and non-fiction, but I was more intent on finding interesting-sounding adult books for you. :-)