A few weeks ago in a Creative Writing class I was leading I mentioned Harry Harrison’s West of Eden trilogy. Over the last few months I have been reading for my MA. MA reading is not pleasurable reading, it is analysis, it is the search of quotes and structure. It drives you mad. Therefore, when I mentioned Harry’s book, I thought, time to read it again. It is one of the wonders of the SF world, that such a simple premise that the dinosaurs did not die out, could be harvested to create a vivid trilogy. If only I could remember where the next two are on my shelves. West of Eden is a must read but is the nuances of the two societies that run side by side, the human Tanu and the dinosaur, Yilane, that drives the novel. A story of vengeance becomes an exploration of cultures and how they develop. The subtext explores how indigenous and colonial people often view each other and how different cultures can be ignorant of each other. It is fascinating read but thanks to my MA, I am bloody analysing it! Sit down, read it, you won’t be disappointed, it has spears, arrows and sex. What more can you ask for?
Andrew Oldham's Boneyard 