Not since Jurassic Park has digging up the past been so dangerous. Michael Crichton, the #1 New York Times bestselling author, returns to the world of paleontology in this recently discovered novel - a thrilling adventure set in the Wild West during the golden age of fossil hunting.
Ancient discoveries. An epic rivalry. An adventure that made history.
The year is 1876. Warring Indian tribes still populate America's western territories even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape. In much of the country it is still illegal to espouse evolution. Against this backdrop two monomaniacal paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils, while surveilling, deceiving and sabotaging each other in a rivalry that will come to be known as the Bone Wars.
Into this treacherous territory plunges the arrogant and entitled William Johnson, a Yale student with more privilege than sense. Determined to survive a summer in the west to win a bet against his arch-rival, William has joined world-renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh on his latest expedition. But when the paranoid and secretive Marsh becomes convinced that William is spying for his nemesis, Edwin Drinker Cope, he abandons him in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a locus of crime and vice. William is forced to join forces with Cope and soon stumbles upon a discovery of historic proportions. With this extraordinary treasure, however, comes exceptional danger, and William's newfound resilience will be tested in his struggle to protect his cache, which pits him against some of the West's most notorious characters.
A page-turner that draws on both meticulously researched history and an exuberant imagination, DRAGON TEETH is based on the rivalry between real-life paleontologists Cope and Marsh; in William Johnson readers will find an inspiring hero only Michael Crichton could have imagined.Perfectly paced and brilliantly plotted, this enormously winning adventure is destined to become another Crichton classic.
I desperately wanted this book to be Jurassic Park, despite absolutely everything about it flailing and telling me that it would not, in fact, be Jurassic Park. Rather, Dragon Teeth is western. Do then uncover dinosaur bones? Sure. Do the dinosaur bones present a constant problem for protagonist William Johnson? Ayup.
Ultimately, this was a shoot-em-up western that leaned heavily toward an historical fiction action story and lacked the fascination of Crichton’s science fiction thrillers. Additionally, it’s worth knowing that Native American racial stereotypes are definitely perpetuated and the rep is TERRIBLE. I assume that the intention was to remain true to the western genre of the first half of the 20th century, but we are better enlightened of our racism now and this all could have been easily prevented? It bothers me.
As far as storytelling goes, I wasn’t inspired to DNF this at any point. The Native American rep is unacceptable, but otherwise the storytelling is solid and intriguing. It’s not Crichton usual fare, but it’s not a bad story. It wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I think it’s quite readable.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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20 December, 2018:
Finished reading
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20 December, 2018:
Reviewed