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The Flock
A remote Florida swamp has been targeted for theme-park development, and the swamp€™s inhabitants are none too happy. It doesn€™t help that the residents are a colony of intelligent, prehistoric, dinosaur-like birds. This flock of beasts has escaped the mass extinction that killed off the dinosaurs, relying on stealth, cunning, and killer instinct. The creatures have been living in secret, just outside our developed world. As the developers push to have the recently-discovered animals exterminated, a billionaire rogue environmentalist step in to protect these rare, predatory creatures. A naø¯ve young Fish and Wildlife officer finds himself caught in between these two incredibly powerful forces, and may find out the hard way that man is the most dangerous predator of them all . . . The Flock is a contemporary eco-thriller about what can happen when man violates nature, and when nature fights back.
364 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
July 21, 2015
Even making allowances for the generally poor quality of writing in the “dinosaurs are in our midst!” genre, this is a very silly book. In fact, if it weren’t so silly, one might be tempted to call it slightly racist – or maybe more than slightly.
The dinosaur in this case is a flightless bird, Titanis walleri, extinct in the early Pleistocene, carnivorous, fast, and big (fossils indicate a height of about 8 feet). Smith makes his Titanis 10-feet tall, gives them human-like forelimbs, and endows them with human thought and the capacity for a spoken (or, at least, sung) language. They have names like Walks Backward, The Scarlet, Egg Mother, and Egg Father, and they “think” things like, “Walks Backward knew what should be done. The Scarlet should be hunted down, at night, and killed. It was the only way, but it was not his place to decide such. The Egg Father and Egg Mother only could decide an act of that magnitude.” And then he SIGHS, because Smith’s creatures can do that, too.
OK, fine, so it’s fiction. Jaws wasn’t all that realistic either.
But there’s stretching scientific truth and then there’s just making stuff up. Though the only fossil evidence of T. walleri in Florida was found way up north in the state, Smith’s Titanis has survived in the Everglades. Also in the Everglades, according to Smith, are outcroppings of sandstone (no, really, there aren’t) and oolitic limestone (ditto, though oolite can be found in the lower Keys and some of the barrier islands off Miami). He imagines the Everglades as some sort of vast, thick forest of enormous trees in which large groups of 10-foot-tall animals could live undetected for millennia, which more than suggests Smith has never actually been to the Everglades. If he had, he’d have observed a vast area of grassy swamp in which anything over a couple of feet tall would have a hard time hiding.
With his Titanis, noble savages who are only trying to protect their culture and pose a threat to humans solely when they are threatened, Smith seems to be working out an extended metaphor about Native Americans and white interlopers. And yet there’s something disturbing about using enormous, human-esque birds, which do everything but say “Ugh!” and try to sell you blankets, as stand-ins for human beings. Meanwhile, the *actual* Native Americans in the cast are largely a feckless and inarticulate collection of types and stock characters.
At a technical level, the writing is amateurish and frequently ungrammatical, but most of the time it’s just clumsy, labored, and artless. Take these sentences: “Trees and bush pressed in all around, which was a good thing. Because all of that vegetation would muffle the sounds of gunfire, of which they were all certain there would be” (250), or this one, in which a “terror bird” attacks a man who has taken refuge in a tree: “Falling to the earth trailing a hot stream of jetting blood, other adult birds were on him” (330). Not only is that hapless man dangling from a tree, but so are Smith’s modifiers. The love scenes, meanwhile (naturally, Smith has grafted the obligatory heterosexual romance onto the whole mess), are always good for a giggle.
There’s no objective reason why science fantasy should also be writing you cannot take seriously. Sadly, it often does seem to work out that way.
The dinosaur in this case is a flightless bird, Titanis walleri, extinct in the early Pleistocene, carnivorous, fast, and big (fossils indicate a height of about 8 feet). Smith makes his Titanis 10-feet tall, gives them human-like forelimbs, and endows them with human thought and the capacity for a spoken (or, at least, sung) language. They have names like Walks Backward, The Scarlet, Egg Mother, and Egg Father, and they “think” things like, “Walks Backward knew what should be done. The Scarlet should be hunted down, at night, and killed. It was the only way, but it was not his place to decide such. The Egg Father and Egg Mother only could decide an act of that magnitude.” And then he SIGHS, because Smith’s creatures can do that, too.
OK, fine, so it’s fiction. Jaws wasn’t all that realistic either.
But there’s stretching scientific truth and then there’s just making stuff up. Though the only fossil evidence of T. walleri in Florida was found way up north in the state, Smith’s Titanis has survived in the Everglades. Also in the Everglades, according to Smith, are outcroppings of sandstone (no, really, there aren’t) and oolitic limestone (ditto, though oolite can be found in the lower Keys and some of the barrier islands off Miami). He imagines the Everglades as some sort of vast, thick forest of enormous trees in which large groups of 10-foot-tall animals could live undetected for millennia, which more than suggests Smith has never actually been to the Everglades. If he had, he’d have observed a vast area of grassy swamp in which anything over a couple of feet tall would have a hard time hiding.
With his Titanis, noble savages who are only trying to protect their culture and pose a threat to humans solely when they are threatened, Smith seems to be working out an extended metaphor about Native Americans and white interlopers. And yet there’s something disturbing about using enormous, human-esque birds, which do everything but say “Ugh!” and try to sell you blankets, as stand-ins for human beings. Meanwhile, the *actual* Native Americans in the cast are largely a feckless and inarticulate collection of types and stock characters.
At a technical level, the writing is amateurish and frequently ungrammatical, but most of the time it’s just clumsy, labored, and artless. Take these sentences: “Trees and bush pressed in all around, which was a good thing. Because all of that vegetation would muffle the sounds of gunfire, of which they were all certain there would be” (250), or this one, in which a “terror bird” attacks a man who has taken refuge in a tree: “Falling to the earth trailing a hot stream of jetting blood, other adult birds were on him” (330). Not only is that hapless man dangling from a tree, but so are Smith’s modifiers. The love scenes, meanwhile (naturally, Smith has grafted the obligatory heterosexual romance onto the whole mess), are always good for a giggle.
There’s no objective reason why science fantasy should also be writing you cannot take seriously. Sadly, it often does seem to work out that way.
December 11, 2010
“The Flock” by James Robert Smith is a fiction fantasy thriller set in a Florida. The title of the novel comes from a group of prehistoric giant carnivorous birds known as Phorusrhacids. The flock has survived in the Florida wilderness and is now fighting against being discovered by men.
Salutations, FL is a model, ideal and beautiful town owned by the movie studio / conglomerate Berg Bros. The movie studio wants to grow the town, however its neighbors, Marine Colonel Winston Grisham and billionaire Vance Holocomb wants to stop Berg Bros. for their own separate reasons.
Enter Ron Riggs, a Fish & Wildlife employee who is called to Salutations to find out why the residents’ cats and dogs go missing. Thinking a big snake is the abductor Ron hires his ex-girlfriend Mary to help him out. However, soon they will find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between three titans who will stop at nothing to further their agenda. In the midst of the power struggle they discover The Flock, a group of intelligent, pre-historic birds who have hidden from humans for centuries.
“The Flock” by James Robert Smith is a fast paced thriller with wonderful pulp elements peppered in the novel.
The characters are fun, even though they are stereotypical with each representing an umbrella group (militants, big business, conservationists), but their interaction is what takes this book to another level. I liked the way Mr. Smith played with his characters’ names. The militant is named after the U.S’s rightwing / patriotic authors etc. These characters create the engaging drama in the novel, but the giant birds are the true stars.
Mr. Smith has created a somewhat believable story of how these terror birds (Titanis walleri) survived unseen and undiscovered in one of the most populous states in the union. The author has given these birds human characteristics which are interesting (although I didn’t understand how come the intelligent, non-flying birds with hand instead of wings never created tools).
This book was a fast read, fast paced and fun at that. The storytelling is brilliant and the descriptive prose is imaginative and detailed. Some of the chapters are written from the viewpoint of the birds, which I found to be very interesting and helped me understand their way of life.
For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
Salutations, FL is a model, ideal and beautiful town owned by the movie studio / conglomerate Berg Bros. The movie studio wants to grow the town, however its neighbors, Marine Colonel Winston Grisham and billionaire Vance Holocomb wants to stop Berg Bros. for their own separate reasons.
Enter Ron Riggs, a Fish & Wildlife employee who is called to Salutations to find out why the residents’ cats and dogs go missing. Thinking a big snake is the abductor Ron hires his ex-girlfriend Mary to help him out. However, soon they will find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between three titans who will stop at nothing to further their agenda. In the midst of the power struggle they discover The Flock, a group of intelligent, pre-historic birds who have hidden from humans for centuries.
“The Flock” by James Robert Smith is a fast paced thriller with wonderful pulp elements peppered in the novel.
The characters are fun, even though they are stereotypical with each representing an umbrella group (militants, big business, conservationists), but their interaction is what takes this book to another level. I liked the way Mr. Smith played with his characters’ names. The militant is named after the U.S’s rightwing / patriotic authors etc. These characters create the engaging drama in the novel, but the giant birds are the true stars.
Mr. Smith has created a somewhat believable story of how these terror birds (Titanis walleri) survived unseen and undiscovered in one of the most populous states in the union. The author has given these birds human characteristics which are interesting (although I didn’t understand how come the intelligent, non-flying birds with hand instead of wings never created tools).
This book was a fast read, fast paced and fun at that. The storytelling is brilliant and the descriptive prose is imaginative and detailed. Some of the chapters are written from the viewpoint of the birds, which I found to be very interesting and helped me understand their way of life.
For more book reviews please visit http://www.ManOfLaBook.com
January 17, 2008
James Robert (Bob) Smith's novel, THE FLOCK, is a worthy first effort, beautifully produced in hardback by Gale/Five Star Books. The flock of the title is a group of prehistoric birds, known as Phorusrachids, which has survived in one of Florida's last remaining wilderness areas. They are impressive, predatory creatures whose survival is largely due to their near-human intelligence; however, their existence is now threatened by both developers and by an eccentric militiaman who owns a portion of the wilderness. A group of environmentalists, who wish to see the land preserved, pit themselves against the exploiters, and in the process discover the existence of the creatures. A complex game of intrigue ensues as the various parties square off, each with its own single-minded agenda.
Smith is a capable writer and has created a remarkably believable backstory for these dinosaur-like creatures. His human characters are mostly colorful — sometimes a little too colorful — but the drama never fails to be engaging. The birds themselves, though, are the stars of the story, and their unique characters enliven the book far more than if they were merely one-dimensional, predatory monsters.
Smith is a capable writer and has created a remarkably believable backstory for these dinosaur-like creatures. His human characters are mostly colorful — sometimes a little too colorful — but the drama never fails to be engaging. The birds themselves, though, are the stars of the story, and their unique characters enliven the book far more than if they were merely one-dimensional, predatory monsters.
December 5, 2010
As recommended by the Citrus County Library System, James Robert Smith's first work compares favorably to that of Michael Crighton, especially Jurassic Park.
The setting is in Florida, specifically a wilderness area on the edge of a growing development. Elements of intrigue include mega-corporations, a multi-billionaire environmentalist, and an ultra right wing faction vying for prime property inhabited by the Flock, a species long thought to be extinct. The intelligence of this species rivals that of humans.
Action includes a paramilitary hunting expedition that includes human prey. Deception from within some of the competing groups adds considerable suspense, and includes one of the most ironic twists I've come across.
Highly recommended to those who liked Crighton's work
The setting is in Florida, specifically a wilderness area on the edge of a growing development. Elements of intrigue include mega-corporations, a multi-billionaire environmentalist, and an ultra right wing faction vying for prime property inhabited by the Flock, a species long thought to be extinct. The intelligence of this species rivals that of humans.
Action includes a paramilitary hunting expedition that includes human prey. Deception from within some of the competing groups adds considerable suspense, and includes one of the most ironic twists I've come across.
Highly recommended to those who liked Crighton's work
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2011
An interesting story, if not somewhat cliche and predictable. The adventure is fleshed out quite well, with quasi-engaging characters that I liked only enough to see their tale through.
The bits told from the point of view of the flock, though somewhat unnecessary and fantastical, helped keep pace and really added dimension to the tale.
Problem was I cared more about what happened next than what happened to the characters, even the titular flock.
A solid read, but nothing to write home about.
The bits told from the point of view of the flock, though somewhat unnecessary and fantastical, helped keep pace and really added dimension to the tale.
Problem was I cared more about what happened next than what happened to the characters, even the titular flock.
A solid read, but nothing to write home about.
May 31, 2010
This book is great. Fun and interesting and just a gas. The best part was that it included numerous sections told from the point of view of the titular flock. He Who Walks Backwards and, of course, "The Scarlet." Highly, highly recommended.
February 3, 2011
Well, good book, I gave you the old college try. I made it to chapter 10, page 83. Just can't do it. Your dialogue isn't believable, and you repeat yourself. Too bad, too -- I thought the story sounded fabulous.
January 19, 2013
Interesting take on what would happen if man came across some bird/dinosuars that hadn't become extinct. the authors first novel and I thought he did a really good job. Sucks you in quick. Stayed up way to late last night because I couldn't stop reading.
November 30, 2010
Wonderful book that had some real fun parts. Giant Terror Birds ransacking a gated community is always a must read! I'm ready for a new work by this author.
December 25, 2010
Remote protected area in Florida is home to huge birds left from dinosaur era- threatened when developers try to move in. Great story.
January 5, 2011
Great quick read. One of the better Eco-thrillers I have read in a while.
Read
January 26, 2011The Flock by James Robert Smith. My second reading, this time aloud after dinner (with appropriate on-the-fly edits to some of the language). I hope it gets made into a movie...
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
August 28, 2020
Giant birds eating the residents of Florida. A+.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2021
Just plain fun to read. Simple characters, simple plot and an expected outcome. A great relaxing read.
June 5, 2023
The very second sentence of the book is grammatically incorrect, ie. poorly/confusedly written.
September 19, 2015
2.5 Stars
Review coming soon!It is hard to read 'The Flock' without drawing some similarities to 'Jurassic Park', although I'm talking the movie as I haven't read the book yet. The premise promises "the most exciting dinosaur thriller since Jurassic Park, an ecothriller with blood on its beak that shows what happens when man violates nature, and nature fights back." Sounds good doesn't it - unfortunately it wasn't.
It wasn't particularly exciting, in fact it had the same monotonous pace throughout. The characters were rather lack lustre and the only aspect I found enjoyable in the entire novel was when we got a glimpse into the mind of the dinosaur. The dinosaurs think and strategise like man, they are intelligent beings and I liked them more than the human characters. I wish the book was narrated entirely by the dinosaurs, it would have been far more entertaining.
This story should have been fun, energetic and thrilling, instead it was laboured, the dialogue clunky and unrealistic, especially when romance was involved, and the action scenes...well, there were none.
The characters were pretty shallow too, they had no depth to them at all, and the main character, Ron, who was supposedly meant to be the one to stand between the threats to the flocks existence, was in fact a rather dull, pathetic, weedy specimen who had his ex-girlfriend to protect him - and of course she single handedly brought down two huge killers with her bare hands, and only with a couple of punches no less. Hmmm.
VERDICT:
A big disappointment to be honest as I was really looking forward to reading 'The Flock' - unfortunately it just didn't deliver on any count and it read like a very badly acted movie...
Review coming soon!It is hard to read 'The Flock' without drawing some similarities to 'Jurassic Park', although I'm talking the movie as I haven't read the book yet. The premise promises "the most exciting dinosaur thriller since Jurassic Park, an ecothriller with blood on its beak that shows what happens when man violates nature, and nature fights back." Sounds good doesn't it - unfortunately it wasn't.
It wasn't particularly exciting, in fact it had the same monotonous pace throughout. The characters were rather lack lustre and the only aspect I found enjoyable in the entire novel was when we got a glimpse into the mind of the dinosaur. The dinosaurs think and strategise like man, they are intelligent beings and I liked them more than the human characters. I wish the book was narrated entirely by the dinosaurs, it would have been far more entertaining.
This story should have been fun, energetic and thrilling, instead it was laboured, the dialogue clunky and unrealistic, especially when romance was involved, and the action scenes...well, there were none.
The characters were pretty shallow too, they had no depth to them at all, and the main character, Ron, who was supposedly meant to be the one to stand between the threats to the flocks existence, was in fact a rather dull, pathetic, weedy specimen who had his ex-girlfriend to protect him - and of course she single handedly brought down two huge killers with her bare hands, and only with a couple of punches no less. Hmmm.
VERDICT:
A big disappointment to be honest as I was really looking forward to reading 'The Flock' - unfortunately it just didn't deliver on any count and it read like a very badly acted movie...
August 30, 2013
This is a story about a flock of dinosaur like birds that should be extinct but which are surviving in a wilderness type savanna in Florida. They are enormous, have evolved arms instead of wings with razor sharp talons and clippers. They are sentient and intelligent and have managed to live in secret for millenia, preserving their species, but one has pulled away from the flock and gone rogue, intent on flouting the rules and starting his own flock. The Flock in general does not attack man but would to defend themselves if necessary but the Rogue Scarlett bird has no scruples and is putting the rest of the flock in danger of discovery.
The wilderness is surrounded by a new development, an ideal community built by a multi billionaire pair of brothers who made their money making family movies. Think Disneyish. They want to continue their development into the wild but are stopped by environmentalists, including a billionaire Vance Holcomb who also has a compound on the edge of the savanna. There's also another camp belonging to a para-military man who doesn't want the redevelopment but for his own reasons and who is certainly a rival to Holcomb. Enter a Fish and Wildlife officer who gets caught in the middle of groups that want to kill the flock and those that want to save it.
The book is fairly fast paced but overall I preferred the chapters about the Flock. I didn't find the human characters very interesting and the dialogue and prose just seemed to wander around aimlessly at times. It felt a bit cliched and wooden where the chapters about the Flock really flowed. The ending left one thing a bit up in the air. I could see this being a movie but I don't know if I'd go see it.
The wilderness is surrounded by a new development, an ideal community built by a multi billionaire pair of brothers who made their money making family movies. Think Disneyish. They want to continue their development into the wild but are stopped by environmentalists, including a billionaire Vance Holcomb who also has a compound on the edge of the savanna. There's also another camp belonging to a para-military man who doesn't want the redevelopment but for his own reasons and who is certainly a rival to Holcomb. Enter a Fish and Wildlife officer who gets caught in the middle of groups that want to kill the flock and those that want to save it.
The book is fairly fast paced but overall I preferred the chapters about the Flock. I didn't find the human characters very interesting and the dialogue and prose just seemed to wander around aimlessly at times. It felt a bit cliched and wooden where the chapters about the Flock really flowed. The ending left one thing a bit up in the air. I could see this being a movie but I don't know if I'd go see it.
March 14, 2014
I learned of this book after finishing Bryson's "A Short History of Everything" while the Bryson was writing about the megafauna present in ancient North America.
"The Flock" is an interesting work which deals with the conflict and suspense when a species of giant, predatory, flightless bird turns out to be not so extinct. They have, rather, been in hiding for thousands of years in Florida. Prime real estate, to be specific.
The plot is fairly formulaic in nature, including the primary characters, but this was enjoyable as well. The storyline is fairly static and as one would expect. Smith tosses in some interesting twists along the way, but nothing mind-blowing.
But the writing is consistent and solid. The pace is just about perfect. And I mean this as a compliment, it would make a perfect SyFy Saturday Night movie ala "Sharknado" but with less cheese.
Among some of the more interesting twists;
- internal dissent among the Flock
- conflicting views on conservation
- a couple of interesting moral conflicts
- megafauna predators as smart as we are
- genuine character motivation, bad choices not withstanding
- a simply GREAT climax scene
I found "The Flock" to be a simple, enjoyable, fast read.
"The Flock" is an interesting work which deals with the conflict and suspense when a species of giant, predatory, flightless bird turns out to be not so extinct. They have, rather, been in hiding for thousands of years in Florida. Prime real estate, to be specific.
The plot is fairly formulaic in nature, including the primary characters, but this was enjoyable as well. The storyline is fairly static and as one would expect. Smith tosses in some interesting twists along the way, but nothing mind-blowing.
But the writing is consistent and solid. The pace is just about perfect. And I mean this as a compliment, it would make a perfect SyFy Saturday Night movie ala "Sharknado" but with less cheese.
Among some of the more interesting twists;
- internal dissent among the Flock
- conflicting views on conservation
- a couple of interesting moral conflicts
- megafauna predators as smart as we are
- genuine character motivation, bad choices not withstanding
- a simply GREAT climax scene
I found "The Flock" to be a simple, enjoyable, fast read.
February 6, 2016
This book was fun. The last extant flock of Giant Terror Birds is discovered in the last pristine stretch of Florida savannah. Giant Terror Hijinks ensue as three human organizations converge on the birds -- a rich environmentalist, a right-wing survivalist with a private army, and a big corporation built around an animated-cartoon series. I have to say the author suffers from the Whitley Strieber Flaw -- he can draw convincing bird characters but the humans just don't fly -- you should pardon the expression. The book moves right along, quite a page turner, but it could have used a thorough going-over by a competent copyeditor; some of the sentences were unbelieveably clumsy and ungrammatical and jolted me right out of the story. Just as I thought he was going to ruin everything with a mawkish TV-episode ending, the author cracked me up on the last page and saved the day.
February 1, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it's not my usual type of book. I've seen many others compare this to Jurassic Park, but I've never read that book. However, if you enjoy sci-fi thrillers (not alien sci-fi but environmental sci-fi), you'll enjoy this book. There are characters that you will love to hate, and there are others you want to root for but are flawed. I couldn't put this book down once I reached the second half, as the pace of the story greatly accelerated at that point. I can't wait to read more about these terror birds.
January 25, 2015
At times exciting, at times boring, The Flock is Jurrasic Park: The Bird Edition. One of the more interesting features are the point of view of the birds parts of the book. Did not expect that. Otherwise it is a fairly predictable story that gives you exactly what you expect from such an eco/techno-thriller. Good thing it`s not a long book, otherwise I probably would have stopped at some point.
September 1, 2012
Trouble brews when a movie studio wants to purchase untouched Florida land to build a town, while an environmentalist and a military major envision different uses for the land. Thrown in: 10-ft tall prehistoric birds, which were thought to have become extinct millions of years ago, are living on this same land. Pretty good book, like a keyed-down Jurassic Park. A light, fun read.
June 18, 2012
Terribly predictable. It was written like he knew he was writing it for a movie, not an actual book. The dialogue was forced and poorly done. I'd give it 1.5 stars if I could--it was a bit of mindlessness that verged on almost fun, but not quite.
January 22, 2014
boring depressing unsatisfactory book
August 26, 2014
Pour ado agréable à lire même si peu crédible
March 7, 2016
Overall quite good. Just a few minor writing mishaps kept it from being a full 4.
June 30, 2016
Liked the characters, interesting premise, but in the end the plot was pretty predictable. A summer read.
May 1, 2017
Amazing book. Great depiction of an incredibly well-imagined sentient-yet-primitive species!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews