Book Reviews by Mike Fredericks from the pages of the
The Flock by James Robert Smith ISBN: 1594143773 Five Star Publishing, Hardcover, $25.95 Here's MUST reading for PT fiction fans. Jurassic Park meets Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds when living terror birds (Titanis Walkerii) threaten a town. A good-sized pop- ulation of the giant prehistoric, predatory, highly intelligent killer birds roams what's now a govern- ment military reservation in Florida. The terror birds get caught between an ecologist and big busi- ness and have no choice but to defend themselves. An environ- mentalist is trying to protect the ancient creatures, while a Disney- style entertain- ment company tries to take the land. Add a mili- tia group paid to destroy the flock and a young Fish and Game officer and his girlfriend and the action begins. A fine, fast read, perfect for the summer poolside.
FAMOUS MONSTER MOVIE ART OF BASIL GOGOS Compiled and edited by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock Vanguard Productions 160 pages (softcover, hardcover )$24.95 A beautifully colorful art book by Kerry Gammill and J. David Spurlock that is the first to pay tribute to Basil Gogos, the Michelangelo of the Macabre, collecting more than 150 color illustrations from Gogos' 40+ year career in book and magazine illustration and more than 50 in B&W. Despite its title, FAMOUS MONSTER MOVIE ART OF BASIL GOGOS devotes about 40 of its pages to Gogos' paperback, Western, and men's mag- azine art, but it is his monster por- traiture that makes this book the jewel that it is. There is something about the way Gogos paints the light on his subject in many colors, shades and hues that gives his art the char- acteristic flair that he is so known for. No prehistoric animals here, unless you count Gorgo and King Kong, but I'm sure many PT readers grew up like I most certainly did with a copy of Forrest J Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland maga- zine close at claw, er I mean hand and will love this collection of the front cover art that so helped make the magazine what it was. For monster fans, almost every page of this book offers great nostalgia and wonderful art. The book pays tribute to Gogos' work superbly. It covers his diversity as an artist while accentuating the monster paintings where he found his most lasting success. The art repro- ductions alone are worth the cost of the book. Gogos is still living his story and his growing legacy will hopefully inspire other books in time, but it hard to see how they will improve on this one, especially visually.
In Darkness It Dwells by Joseph Laudati $6.99 Medallion Press ISBN: 1932815708 It turns out that well known monster and dinosaur model sculptor Joe Laudati, who's work you have so often seen reviewed and advertised in PT, is also a talented author. Who knew??! He sent us a copy of his new horror book and we were happy to promote it here. In Chapinaw, New York sixteen year old filmmaker Tom DeFrank enjoys emulating his hero Ray Harryhausen by creating stop motion monsters for his own films. Tom accompanies his two friends Kevin and Danny to a cave where unbeknownst to the three teens a satanic ritual involving an infant sacrifice was stopped fifteen years ago. Inside the cave something occurs that causes Tom to begin mut- tering in a strange language. At the high school, Tom meets Julie Parrish, whose father Stephen is considered by locals an eccentric, but who in fact is a psychic. When she sees his drawings and recognizes his words she rec- ognizes the possession. As Tom and Julie begin to fall in love, his latest stop motion puppet becomes possessed by something the teen unwillingly brought with him from the cave. As people begin to suddenly die and vio- lence explodes, everyone blames the psychic Stephen, who is the only hope to free the teen from his monster. A well written, fast paced horror drama that I recommend you read soon.
The Random House Dinosaur Travel Guide (Paperback) by Kelly Milner Halls, Luis Rey (Illustrator) $10.99 Paperback: 224 pages Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; 1st edition ISBN: 0375827153 With Kelly's new book you are ready to hit the road and travel to the many dino-destinations featured in this Dinosaur Travel Guide. From world- renowned paleontological museum collections to theme parks to roadside attractions, there's something for everyone — everywhere! — in this easy to use state-by-state guidebook. The handy guide includes listings of over 300 locations in the U.S. and Canada, Luis Rey's cool graphics, a guide to shopping for all things dinosaur related, including a very nice write-up on Prehistoric Times magazine, thank you Kelly — plus a whole lot more! Kelly did a similar book to this a few years back but this one is more for the kids. Of course I love all of Luis' art inside but I only wish it included a few photos of the location it describes as well.
The Seas of Doom (Astrosaurs) by Steve Cole and Woody Fox Riddle of the Raptors (Astrosaurs) by Steve Cole and Charlie Fowkes The Hatching Horror (Astrosaurs) by Steve Cole and Charlie Fowkes $4.99 each Paperback: 144 pages each, Publisher: Aladdin. Teggs is no ordinary dinosaur — he's an Astrosaur! He and his crew have taken off on his spaceship, the DSS Sauropod, to fight evil and keep space safe for plant eaters everywhere. 65 million years ago, the dinosaurs saw a massive meteor heading for earth and all took off in dung-powered space- ships before it hit. Now both plant-eaters and meat-eaters have built mas- sive empires in a part of space called the Jurassic Quadrant. But the carni- vores are never happy unless they're causing trouble - that's why the Dinosaur Space Service needs herbivore heroes to defend the Vegetarian Sector. Step forward, Captain Teggs Stegosaur! Captain of the amazing spaceship DSS Sauropod, he goes on dangerous missions and fights evil, together with his faithful crew - Arx the Triceratops, Iggy the Iguanodon, Gipsy the hadrosaur and many more! On his latest mission (Riddle of the Raptors) Teggs is escorting a group of the Vegetarian Sector's top ath- letes to the Great Dinosaur Games. When a greedy gang of meat-eating raptors raid the Sauropod and kidnap two of the athletes, Teggs and his crew race to the rescue. But there's more to the raptor's plan than meets the eye. Can Teggs solve their rascally riddle in time? A new fun series of books for the young and dino fans of all ages.
Strange Things and Hamsters (Paperback) by Brad Proctor $19.95 Paperback: 180 pages Publisher: PublishAmerica ISBN: 1413707386. Artist Brad Proctor, whose art you have seen in PT turns out to be an author too. "Strange Things" is your usual story of a four foot mouse, a hamster and an Ornitholestes dinosaur that are blown to Earth by a crazy Iguana in another dimension. With the help of two Earth women, they attempt to find the portal to return them to their universe. Okay, so maybe you haven't heard this story before. Funny and witty and a great summer read.
RGK: The Art of Roy G. Krenkel (Paperback) by J. David Spurlock, Barry Klugerman $24.95 134 pages Vanguard Productions ISBN: 1887591524 This is the first major col- lection of the fantasy artist's work in 20 years. This book is filled with classic and previously unseen portrayals of futuristic cities, prehistoric beasts, jungle men, bodacious beauties, and more, both in color and black and white. Providing a rich overview of Krenkel's work, RGK is profusely illustrated with 250 illustra- tions and photos-from his defining art- work on Tarzan, Conan, and Wizard of Oz, to his collaborations with Frank Frazetta. Includes commentary by Al Williamson and Frank Frazetta. Dinosaurs - The Complete First and Second Seasons DVD Box set (1991) 4 discs The Simpsons meet the Flintstones meet the Muppets in Jurassic Park Dinosaurs was an early 1990s television comedy series fea- turing impressive anthropomorphic, animatronic creatures created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The story lines challenge some of society's most basic assumptions and explore some of the most universally troublesome aspects of "civilized" life. Set in six million three BC, the Sinclairs are your "typical" blue-collar dinosaur family attempting to adjust to the relatively new concept of communal living. The adjustments of moving from a nomadic lifestyle to one of domestication and social interaction are many, and challenging issues like the concepts of right and wrong, faith, and the intricacies of family relation- ships are forever besieging this every-man's family. Naturally, the Sinclair family's approach is to address each obstacle with an abundance of slapstick comedy. The Dinosaurs episodes regularly function on dual levels: the puppetry and silly antics like Baby Sinclair's penchant for hitting her father over the head with a pan while hol- lering "Not the Mama" appeal to even the youngest children, but the often pointed social commentary and sometimes mature themes are squarely aimed at an adult audience.
Folsom : New Archaeological Investigations of a Classic Paleoindian Bison Kill by David Meltzer $55.00 Hardcover: 387 pages University of California Press ISBN: 0520246446. In the late 1920s out- side a sleepy remote New Mexico vil- lage, prehistory was made. Spear points, found embedded between the ribs of an extinct Ice Age bison at the site of Folsom, finally resolved decades of bitter sci- entific controversy over whether the first Americans had arrived in the New World in Ice Age times. Although Folsom is justly famous in the history of archaeology for resolving that dis- pute, for decades little was known of the site except that it was very old. This book for the first time tells the full story of Folsom. David J. Meltzer deftly combines the results of extensive new excavations and laboratory analysis from the late 1990s, with the results of a complete examination and analysis of all the original artifacts and bison remains recovered in the 1920s - now scattered in museums and small towns across the country. Using the latest in archaeological method and technique, and bringing in data from geology and paleoecology, this interdisciplinary study provides a comprehensive look at the adaptations and environments of the late Ice Age Paleoindian hunters who killed a large herd of bison at this spot, as well as a measure of Folsom' s pivotal role in American archaeology.
Dinosaur Parents, Dinosaur Young: Uncovering the Mystery of Dinosaur Families by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld hardback $17.00 Now in Paperback $6.95 Aees 4-8. 64 pases Clarion Books ISBN: 0395913381 Zoehfeld begins with a tale about an Oviraptor buried by a sandstorm in a protective posture over a nest of 16 eggs 73 million years ago. She then explores changing theories of dinosaur life based on scien- tific discoveries-from Roy Chapman Andrews's Gobi Expedition discovery of the birdlike Oviraptor skeleton at the site of a nest of eggs in 1923 to discoveries of fossil evidence of nesting grounds of titanosaurs in Patagonia in 1998. In a concluding chapter on the future of exploration, Zoehfeld points out how new discoveries may lead paleontologists to revise theories about dinosaurs and the way they lived. High-quality, color pho- tographs of fossils of eggs and embryos and of paleontologists at work as well as really beautiful line drawings and full-color paintings add to this well done book.
Encyclopedia Prehistorica Sharks and Other Sea Monsters : The Definitive Pop-Up ( S a b u d a Encyclopedias) (Hardcover) by Robert Sabuda (Illustrator), Matthew Reinhart (Illustrator) $27.99 Ages 4-8 Hardcover: 12 pages Publisher: Candlewick ISBN: 076362229X Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water! The second astonishing ENCYCLOPEDIA PREHISTORICA book from Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart pops up!! While dinosaurs patrolled the lands, massive prehistoric sharks, giant scorpions, and colos- sal squid cruised the ancient oceans - most with just one thing in mind: eat or be eaten. In this companion volume to the best-selling ENCYCLOPE- DIA PREHISTORICA: DINOSAURS, pop-up masters Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart explore the prehistoric underwater world, where monsters like megalodon ruled the waves. Full of facts and more than 35 breathtaking and really well done pop-ups, this well thought out and incredible volume is sure to astonish and amaze everyone from budding marine biologists to confirmed landlub- bers. After all, if prehistoric coelacanths and crocodiles are still around, what else might be lurking in today's largely unexplored oceans?
Dinosaur Chase! (Hardcover) by Benedict Blathwayt $16.99 Ages 4-8. Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Hutchinson ISBN: 0091892937 This colorfully illustrated children's book tells the story of Fin, a dinosaur unlike others. Teased for his spindly little legs, bony tail and feeble fluffy arms, Fin soon discovers what the feathery fluff is for and what he can do that none of the other dinosaurs around him can. When a gang of four big, bullying dinosaurs chases him into the woods, Fin outwits them one by one, by doing things that each of them cannot do to continue fol- lowing him. All except the meanest, fiercest dinosaur of all who follows him right to the top of the mountain, where Fin takes a giant leap of faith and discovers that - he can fly!
The First Human : The Race to Discover Our Earliest Ancestors (Hardcover) by Ann Gibbons $26.00 Hardcover: 336 pages Doubleday ISBN: 0385512260 A writer for Science magazine, Gibbons explains what paleoanthropologists have been doing over the past 15 years: competing, feuding, and making dramatic discover- ies. Mostly describing the anatomy that is the foundation of physical anthropology, Gibbons emphasizes the person- alities involved. Leakeyesque fame is one unspoken prize in field research on human origins, and several scientists acknowledge here their youthful inspiration by Louis and Mary Leakey's careers. One was Don Johanson, who dis- covered the "Lucy" fossil in 1974 that reigned temporari- ly as the oldest human ancestor. From the state of scientif- ic affairs at that time, Gibbons' drives forward the hunt since 1990 for a hominid ancestral to Lucy. Among the newly excavated fossils, which include a new skull from Chad that now is the oldest human at six or seven million years old, Gibbons keenly dramatizes the anthropology field's territorial attitudes toward fossils.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Prehistoric World (Hardcover) by Douglas Palmer (Editor) $29.99 Hardcover: 512 pages, Chartwell Books ISBN: 0785820868. The latest coffee table book for young and old readers with much recycled full color artwork of pre- historic animals and plenty of interesting information for the novice and the fairly well educated paleo fan.
