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Prehistoric, Vol. 1
Prehistoric is an action packed collection of stories featuring terrifying creatures that once ruled the Earth. Lost worlds where T-Rex and Velociraptors still roam and man is now on the menu. Laboratories at the forefront of cloning technology experiment with dinosaurs they do not understand or are able to contain. The deepest parts of the ocean where Megalodon, the largest and most ferocious predator to have ever existed is stalking new prey. Plus many more thrillers filled with extinct prehistoric monsters written by some of the best creature feature authors this side of the Jurassic period.
208 pages, Paperback
Published July 8, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 29, 2019
Overall, this short collection of dinosaur monster tales was OKAY. To be perfectly honest, they were mostly carbon-copy military action types with a subtitle that says "competence porn" ... at least until the competence runs out.
It's what you might expect if you're expecting monstrous baddies eating our protagonists regularly. :)
There ARE a few stories that are worth mentioning that are much better than the rest. In fact, I really got into them.
Geoff Jones. The First Man on Earth.
I don't know what it was about this one, but the whole time-travel thing and the background tension and the foreground tension did EVERYTHING for me. A real delight.
Alan Baxter. Jeremiah's Puzzle.
I laughed and had a wonderful time with this one, too. It's a great mashup of Hellraiser and T-Rex on an unsuspecting English town. :)
And then there was Rick Chesler, with Mantle. It was a totally a Journey to the Center of the Earth homage but I don't care. At least it updated some of the tech and it was amusing. :)
I won't say that the rest were bad. It's just mil-porn and there's a market for it. It's just not precisely me. :)
It's what you might expect if you're expecting monstrous baddies eating our protagonists regularly. :)
There ARE a few stories that are worth mentioning that are much better than the rest. In fact, I really got into them.
Geoff Jones. The First Man on Earth.
I don't know what it was about this one, but the whole time-travel thing and the background tension and the foreground tension did EVERYTHING for me. A real delight.
Alan Baxter. Jeremiah's Puzzle.
I laughed and had a wonderful time with this one, too. It's a great mashup of Hellraiser and T-Rex on an unsuspecting English town. :)
And then there was Rick Chesler, with Mantle. It was a totally a Journey to the Center of the Earth homage but I don't care. At least it updated some of the tech and it was amusing. :)
I won't say that the rest were bad. It's just mil-porn and there's a market for it. It's just not precisely me. :)
September 27, 2021
Late Cretaceous Smorgasbord. (Yep. The stewed velociraptor tastes like chicken.)
You know how, when you go to the smorgasbord, it gives you a chance to load your plate with a variety of food...some good...some that makes you want to chunder in the umbrella stand on the way out? Well this is the dino-fiction equivalent of that. It's a good way to find an author you like. Here's my take...
The Keldos: David Achord Weak story of revenge. The whole thing wasn't very compelling. Almost didn't finish this one. 2 stars.
Apex: Jeff Brackett Reminded me of Predator (the movie). Quite scary. 3 stars
Cult of the Cretaceous: A whole new take on the Ankylosaurus. Hunter Shea has a wild imagination. 4 stars.
No Tears Left In The Flipside: I'd never heard of Jake Bible before but I like the style of his writing and his imagery. More and more authors are adding feathers to our munchy toothy friends. I might have to read his book The Flipside. 4 stars.
Norse Sea Hunters: Interesting! Brad also wrote North Sea Hunters a novelette with the same plot but using a U-boat crew instead of Vikings. Still, a good story about a big fish. 3 stars
Operation: Severn: by William Meikle. Feathery, bird-like dinos again but with more intelligence and a British flavour. Nice writing style but for me - 3 stars.
Extinction: Rich Restucci mainly writes about zombies. I think the coversation with the editor went like this: "Rich, I want you to write a short story about dinosaurs." Rich said, "But I only do zombie stories. You know that." Editor: "Okay Rich. Write about zombie dinosaurs." Voila! And it works! 4 Stars.
The First Man On Earth: Going back in time to save the future. Good idea in theory...bad idea to go as far back as the Late Cretaceous. You might become a MRE for a T-Rex. Feathers again! Geoff Jones wrote one of my fave dino books, The Dinosaur Four, and it's way past time he wrote another dino book. Are you reading this Geoff? C'mon..do it! Pleeease? 4 Stars.
Sauria: The way that humans and dinosaurs come together has been done in numerous imaginative ways, but in this short story, it was almost the silliest idea I've ever heard/read (Dinosaur Lake takes the prize for that). Putting that aside though, this is an action-packed story with lots of gory, chomping action. 2 Stars.
Lost Island: Meh! Bit silly. 2 Stars.
Jeremiah's Puzzle: Well thought out story. Great imagery with the dino/human interaction. I liked it...and he poked a bit of fun at the English upper crust. Goooood! I'll be reading more of Allan Baxter. 4 Stars.
Mantle: DNF. Sorry Rick. I can only suspend my disbelief so far. 2 Stars.
Closure: Tim Waggoner writes very well, but there wasn't enough dino vs human action in this one. Would have easily been 4 or 5 stars if there had been. As is...3 Stars.
So a good collection, but I felt some of the stories felt a bit rushed.
You know how, when you go to the smorgasbord, it gives you a chance to load your plate with a variety of food...some good...some that makes you want to chunder in the umbrella stand on the way out? Well this is the dino-fiction equivalent of that. It's a good way to find an author you like. Here's my take...
The Keldos: David Achord Weak story of revenge. The whole thing wasn't very compelling. Almost didn't finish this one. 2 stars.
Apex: Jeff Brackett Reminded me of Predator (the movie). Quite scary. 3 stars
Cult of the Cretaceous: A whole new take on the Ankylosaurus. Hunter Shea has a wild imagination. 4 stars.
No Tears Left In The Flipside: I'd never heard of Jake Bible before but I like the style of his writing and his imagery. More and more authors are adding feathers to our munchy toothy friends. I might have to read his book The Flipside. 4 stars.
Norse Sea Hunters: Interesting! Brad also wrote North Sea Hunters a novelette with the same plot but using a U-boat crew instead of Vikings. Still, a good story about a big fish. 3 stars
Operation: Severn: by William Meikle. Feathery, bird-like dinos again but with more intelligence and a British flavour. Nice writing style but for me - 3 stars.
Extinction: Rich Restucci mainly writes about zombies. I think the coversation with the editor went like this: "Rich, I want you to write a short story about dinosaurs." Rich said, "But I only do zombie stories. You know that." Editor: "Okay Rich. Write about zombie dinosaurs." Voila! And it works! 4 Stars.
The First Man On Earth: Going back in time to save the future. Good idea in theory...bad idea to go as far back as the Late Cretaceous. You might become a MRE for a T-Rex. Feathers again! Geoff Jones wrote one of my fave dino books, The Dinosaur Four, and it's way past time he wrote another dino book. Are you reading this Geoff? C'mon..do it! Pleeease? 4 Stars.
Sauria: The way that humans and dinosaurs come together has been done in numerous imaginative ways, but in this short story, it was almost the silliest idea I've ever heard/read (Dinosaur Lake takes the prize for that). Putting that aside though, this is an action-packed story with lots of gory, chomping action. 2 Stars.
Lost Island: Meh! Bit silly. 2 Stars.
Jeremiah's Puzzle: Well thought out story. Great imagery with the dino/human interaction. I liked it...and he poked a bit of fun at the English upper crust. Goooood! I'll be reading more of Allan Baxter. 4 Stars.
Mantle: DNF. Sorry Rick. I can only suspend my disbelief so far. 2 Stars.
Closure: Tim Waggoner writes very well, but there wasn't enough dino vs human action in this one. Would have easily been 4 or 5 stars if there had been. As is...3 Stars.
So a good collection, but I felt some of the stories felt a bit rushed.
July 26, 2019
1. ‘The Keldos’ by David Achord – 2 stars
2. ‘Apex’ by Jeff Brackett – 3 stars
3. ‘Cult of the Cretaceous’ by Hunter Shea – 4 stars
4. ‘No Tears Left in the Flipside’ by Jake Bible – 3 stars
5. ‘Norse Sea Hunters’ by Brad Harmer-Barnes – 4 stars
6. ‘Operation: Severn’ by William Meikle – 4 stars
7. ‘Extinction’ by Rich Restucci – 4 stars
8. ‘The First Man on Earth’ by Geoff Jones – 4 stars
9. ‘Sauria’ by Tim Curran – 3 stars
10. ‘Lost Island’ by David Wood – 3 stars
11. ‘Jeremiah’s Puzzle’ by Alan Baxter – 4 stars
12. ‘Mantle’ by Rick Chesler – 2 stars
13. ‘Closure’ by Tim Waggoner – 3 stars
2. ‘Apex’ by Jeff Brackett – 3 stars
3. ‘Cult of the Cretaceous’ by Hunter Shea – 4 stars
4. ‘No Tears Left in the Flipside’ by Jake Bible – 3 stars
5. ‘Norse Sea Hunters’ by Brad Harmer-Barnes – 4 stars
6. ‘Operation: Severn’ by William Meikle – 4 stars
7. ‘Extinction’ by Rich Restucci – 4 stars
8. ‘The First Man on Earth’ by Geoff Jones – 4 stars
9. ‘Sauria’ by Tim Curran – 3 stars
10. ‘Lost Island’ by David Wood – 3 stars
11. ‘Jeremiah’s Puzzle’ by Alan Baxter – 4 stars
12. ‘Mantle’ by Rick Chesler – 2 stars
13. ‘Closure’ by Tim Waggoner – 3 stars
July 12, 2019
I love my dinosaurs. Especially the mean and nasty ones. And you get plenty of those in this collection. And I enjoy anthologies. You come across some authors you have enjoyed before and some new ones to explore.
It’s bloody mayhem from story to story. The dinosaurs rule and any man is a fool to think otherwise. Many characters meet their fate and a lucky few survive.
I found all of these enjoyable. Some were quick, bloody fun. And then were those that I wanted to continue. That I would have loved as full length books so I could connect even more with the characters, get more of the horrible, rampaging beasts and more of the atmosphere that had me so excited.
Something I took away from these stories was the new way the dinosaurs were presented. It’s a modern look at how dinosaurs are perceived now. How they might have really looked. It was long believed that they were cold blooded creatures and looked similar to lizards. You get something much different with most of these and I have a new respect for how terrifying they must have been.
I’m not one to play favorites so I won’t list any here. I will say some new authors have found their way to my must read more from list.
It’s bloody mayhem from story to story. The dinosaurs rule and any man is a fool to think otherwise. Many characters meet their fate and a lucky few survive.
I found all of these enjoyable. Some were quick, bloody fun. And then were those that I wanted to continue. That I would have loved as full length books so I could connect even more with the characters, get more of the horrible, rampaging beasts and more of the atmosphere that had me so excited.
Something I took away from these stories was the new way the dinosaurs were presented. It’s a modern look at how dinosaurs are perceived now. How they might have really looked. It was long believed that they were cold blooded creatures and looked similar to lizards. You get something much different with most of these and I have a new respect for how terrifying they must have been.
I’m not one to play favorites so I won’t list any here. I will say some new authors have found their way to my must read more from list.
July 17, 2019
For as much as love some good dino-oriented chomp-and-stomp creature features, much of my terrible lizard intake of late has been via my toddlers’ YouTube videos of Blippi’s “Dinosaur Song” or Dinosaur Train on PBS. While these are certainly horrific in their right, especially around the day’s thirty-fifth consecutive viewing, they are nonetheless terrors on vastly different scale than what I’m looking for when I think of dinosaurs. I want Jurassic Park-style bloodshed, with folks getting eaten alive, buckets of entrails hitting the ground, and men and women fleeing for their lives and screaming their freaking heads off.
Enter Prehistoric: A Dinosaur Anthology from Severed Press. When Hunter Shea announced to his Patreon supporters that he had some copies available for review, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to jump out of my skin. This book was exactly what I needed!
Prehistoric collects a lucky batch of thirteen stories from David Achord, Jeff Brackett, Hunter Shea, Jake Bible, Brad Harmer-Barnes, William Meikle, Rich Restucci, Geoff Jones, Tim Curran, David Wood, Alan Baxter, Rich Chesler, and Tim Waggoner. For whatever reason, the review copy I received did not contain Chesler’s story, “Mantle.”
While I dug the anthology as a whole, I have to admit it got off to a rocky start for me with Achord’s “The Keldos.” Right off the bat, I loathed the story’s central character, disgraced Dr. Fred Menske, and that was even before Achord got into the nitty-gritty of illustrating just how deplorable Menske really is. On the other hand, kudos to Achord for making me hate this dude in record time. Unfortunately, Menske’s a completely irredeemable character, and “The Keldos” left me feeling a bit cold in the end.
Brackett’s “Apex” hit the spot nicely, though, and largely sets the stage for the other stories that follow. Involving a special forces team raiding a terrorist compound, it packs a wallop full of “nightmares of downy fur, slashing claws, and ripping teeth.”
Shea’s “Cult of the Cretaceous,” though, was the first real home-run of the anthology, bringing in a hip B-movie sensibility with its Cults Vs Dinosaurs premise. This was some real kick-ass fun involving the FBI caught in a Waco-like standoff, with a team of dino riders landing on scene to save the day. Huge props to Shea for using the tank-like ankylosauria, a species that never gets its due in dino fiction as they’re not as sexy as the T-Rex. You know about shock and awe? “Prepare to meet shock and aw-shit-we’re-gonna-die.”
Bible contributes a story that ties into his Flipside series with “No Tears Left In The Flipside.” Not having read those particular books, I do believe I need to correct that oversight now. Although I was a bit lost on why there was a bubble in Wyoming that gave way to lots of dinosaur mayhem or how it operated, the story itself was a quick action-packed read.
Harber-Barnes hit a particular sweet spot for me with “North Sea Hunters,” a historical period piece that can best be summed up as Vikings Vs Dinosaurs. Set entirely at sea, a group of Vikings are preparing to raid a coastal village when they encounter a massive sea creature unlike anything they know. It’s a fun story, and Harber-Barnes injects a nice little Jaws reference for good measure.
“Operation: Severn” is set in the world of Meikle’s Operation series of novels, another batch of books I haven’t yet gotten around to. It’s cleanly written and effective, but didn’t really wow me in the way some of Meikle’s other works have. Restucci’s “Extinction,” though…oh my lord, yes. This one’s got time travel and zombie dinosaurs. Talk about going to a happy place! “Extinction” was easily one of my favorites, and Restucci nails the premise wonderfully.
“The Last Man On Earth,” by Geoff Jones, sees a lone time traveler venturing into the deep past to bury a time capsule that he hopes will prevent a nuclear apocalypse and stop the election of an madman. Jones does a great job cashing in on the nuclear anxieties that go along with the Trump administration (without being explicit about it, mind you, so sensitive readers can rest easy about it being “too political” and just enjoy it for what it is). It’s a damn good story, besides, and another easy favorite of the anthology.
Tim Curran is among the authors I can rely on to deliver a solid story, usually one that’s nicely chock full of gore. “Sauria” certainly meets expectations, and Curran does a neat little twist on time travel, one of the recurrent tropes in this anthology to get mankind to square off against extinct foes. It’s suitably bleak and moves along at a nice clip. Woods’ “Lost Island” was pretty decent, as well, delivering on those Jurassic Park vibes with its premise of a secluded island cum game preserve. It’s got some neat ideas, but feels much too compressed to flesh out the characters and premise in a way it really deserved. It’s fun enough, but it’s also one of the few stories in here that I wish were longer in the hopes that it would be more satisfying. If Woods ever turns this into a full-length novel, I’ll happily give it a read!
Baxter gives us a fun Jumanji type story in “Trouble at Fete,” involving a magic puzzle box that, once solved, opens a time portal to the past. Rather than the people going through the portal, the dinosaurs come through...and just in time for a local festival! It’s fun stuff, but dear lord, that poor donkey...
Closing out the collection is Waggoner’s “Closure,” which is easily the collection’s standout entry due to its emotionally engaging narrative. This one’s a freaking powerful of trauma built around the secrets separating parents from their children and the toll that abuse carries. It has a dinosaur, sure, but it’s almost besides the point. It’s got so much heart and raw nerves that the velociraptor is really of secondary concern. It’s also so very different from the stories that came before, purely on a thematic level, thanks to how emotionally engaging it is. It’s a fantastic story!
I enjoyed Prehistoric a great deal, but one also has to realize the limitations inherit in the man versus dinosaur premise. There’s really only two ways to make it happen, and that’s either through cloning or time travel. Some of the authors are able to put unique spins on these elements, but it does get to feeling pretty repetitive when you know that each of the stories are going to cater to either one or the other to fuel the action. Those stories that go a little extra to put some twists on things, either through a story’s premise, its characters, or its approach, like those from Shea, Waggoner, Curran, and Jones, in particular, are the ones that really put this anthology on the map and help prevent Prehistoric from going too far past its expiration date. There’s also a few good reminders in here that dino fic is far from extinct and that it can still feel fun and adventurous. This is certainly a good thing considering Prehistoric labels itself as Volume One, which inevitably leads one to conclude that a Volume Two must be in the offing. As Sam Jackson advised in Jurassic Park, “Hold onto your butts!”
Enter Prehistoric: A Dinosaur Anthology from Severed Press. When Hunter Shea announced to his Patreon supporters that he had some copies available for review, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to jump out of my skin. This book was exactly what I needed!
Prehistoric collects a lucky batch of thirteen stories from David Achord, Jeff Brackett, Hunter Shea, Jake Bible, Brad Harmer-Barnes, William Meikle, Rich Restucci, Geoff Jones, Tim Curran, David Wood, Alan Baxter, Rich Chesler, and Tim Waggoner. For whatever reason, the review copy I received did not contain Chesler’s story, “Mantle.”
While I dug the anthology as a whole, I have to admit it got off to a rocky start for me with Achord’s “The Keldos.” Right off the bat, I loathed the story’s central character, disgraced Dr. Fred Menske, and that was even before Achord got into the nitty-gritty of illustrating just how deplorable Menske really is. On the other hand, kudos to Achord for making me hate this dude in record time. Unfortunately, Menske’s a completely irredeemable character, and “The Keldos” left me feeling a bit cold in the end.
Brackett’s “Apex” hit the spot nicely, though, and largely sets the stage for the other stories that follow. Involving a special forces team raiding a terrorist compound, it packs a wallop full of “nightmares of downy fur, slashing claws, and ripping teeth.”
Shea’s “Cult of the Cretaceous,” though, was the first real home-run of the anthology, bringing in a hip B-movie sensibility with its Cults Vs Dinosaurs premise. This was some real kick-ass fun involving the FBI caught in a Waco-like standoff, with a team of dino riders landing on scene to save the day. Huge props to Shea for using the tank-like ankylosauria, a species that never gets its due in dino fiction as they’re not as sexy as the T-Rex. You know about shock and awe? “Prepare to meet shock and aw-shit-we’re-gonna-die.”
Bible contributes a story that ties into his Flipside series with “No Tears Left In The Flipside.” Not having read those particular books, I do believe I need to correct that oversight now. Although I was a bit lost on why there was a bubble in Wyoming that gave way to lots of dinosaur mayhem or how it operated, the story itself was a quick action-packed read.
Harber-Barnes hit a particular sweet spot for me with “North Sea Hunters,” a historical period piece that can best be summed up as Vikings Vs Dinosaurs. Set entirely at sea, a group of Vikings are preparing to raid a coastal village when they encounter a massive sea creature unlike anything they know. It’s a fun story, and Harber-Barnes injects a nice little Jaws reference for good measure.
“Operation: Severn” is set in the world of Meikle’s Operation series of novels, another batch of books I haven’t yet gotten around to. It’s cleanly written and effective, but didn’t really wow me in the way some of Meikle’s other works have. Restucci’s “Extinction,” though…oh my lord, yes. This one’s got time travel and zombie dinosaurs. Talk about going to a happy place! “Extinction” was easily one of my favorites, and Restucci nails the premise wonderfully.
“The Last Man On Earth,” by Geoff Jones, sees a lone time traveler venturing into the deep past to bury a time capsule that he hopes will prevent a nuclear apocalypse and stop the election of an madman. Jones does a great job cashing in on the nuclear anxieties that go along with the Trump administration (without being explicit about it, mind you, so sensitive readers can rest easy about it being “too political” and just enjoy it for what it is). It’s a damn good story, besides, and another easy favorite of the anthology.
Tim Curran is among the authors I can rely on to deliver a solid story, usually one that’s nicely chock full of gore. “Sauria” certainly meets expectations, and Curran does a neat little twist on time travel, one of the recurrent tropes in this anthology to get mankind to square off against extinct foes. It’s suitably bleak and moves along at a nice clip. Woods’ “Lost Island” was pretty decent, as well, delivering on those Jurassic Park vibes with its premise of a secluded island cum game preserve. It’s got some neat ideas, but feels much too compressed to flesh out the characters and premise in a way it really deserved. It’s fun enough, but it’s also one of the few stories in here that I wish were longer in the hopes that it would be more satisfying. If Woods ever turns this into a full-length novel, I’ll happily give it a read!
Baxter gives us a fun Jumanji type story in “Trouble at Fete,” involving a magic puzzle box that, once solved, opens a time portal to the past. Rather than the people going through the portal, the dinosaurs come through...and just in time for a local festival! It’s fun stuff, but dear lord, that poor donkey...
Closing out the collection is Waggoner’s “Closure,” which is easily the collection’s standout entry due to its emotionally engaging narrative. This one’s a freaking powerful of trauma built around the secrets separating parents from their children and the toll that abuse carries. It has a dinosaur, sure, but it’s almost besides the point. It’s got so much heart and raw nerves that the velociraptor is really of secondary concern. It’s also so very different from the stories that came before, purely on a thematic level, thanks to how emotionally engaging it is. It’s a fantastic story!
I enjoyed Prehistoric a great deal, but one also has to realize the limitations inherit in the man versus dinosaur premise. There’s really only two ways to make it happen, and that’s either through cloning or time travel. Some of the authors are able to put unique spins on these elements, but it does get to feeling pretty repetitive when you know that each of the stories are going to cater to either one or the other to fuel the action. Those stories that go a little extra to put some twists on things, either through a story’s premise, its characters, or its approach, like those from Shea, Waggoner, Curran, and Jones, in particular, are the ones that really put this anthology on the map and help prevent Prehistoric from going too far past its expiration date. There’s also a few good reminders in here that dino fic is far from extinct and that it can still feel fun and adventurous. This is certainly a good thing considering Prehistoric labels itself as Volume One, which inevitably leads one to conclude that a Volume Two must be in the offing. As Sam Jackson advised in Jurassic Park, “Hold onto your butts!”
September 2, 2019
I found this book because a GR friend read it and since I knew two of the authors who had contributed stories - not to mention my love for everything dinosaur - I was curious.
There are 13 stories in this book but I had already read one (or one version of it) and only very few are worth mentioning. the ones that are are The First Man on Earth and Jeremiah's Puzzle though Cult of the Cretaceous wasn't bad either. The fact that I stopped posting individual updates two stories before the finish line should be telling however.
The collection really isn't bad. Two stories were bad, one because , but the others were just ... average. Bland.
I do love dinosaurs and I like blood and gore; the science also doesn't always have to make sense. Nevertheless, the greatness of Jurassic Park lies in it being as realistic as possible. These didn't even come close, sadly.
Still, a few interesting ideas for how humans could come in contact with these fascinating animals and some of the T-rex buffets were entertaining.
There are 13 stories in this book but I had already read one (or one version of it) and only very few are worth mentioning. the ones that are are The First Man on Earth and Jeremiah's Puzzle though Cult of the Cretaceous wasn't bad either. The fact that I stopped posting individual updates two stories before the finish line should be telling however.
The collection really isn't bad. Two stories were bad, one because , but the others were just ... average. Bland.
I do love dinosaurs and I like blood and gore; the science also doesn't always have to make sense. Nevertheless, the greatness of Jurassic Park lies in it being as realistic as possible. These didn't even come close, sadly.
Still, a few interesting ideas for how humans could come in contact with these fascinating animals and some of the T-rex buffets were entertaining.
November 10, 2022
You really can’t go wrong with a dinosaur anthology…
A few submissions were excellent thrillers that could be expanded into full length novels. Some had me laughing out loud; “Anky Squad”, really?!
Favourite Lines: “Those are ankylosauria, some of the last dinos to roam the Earth. They’re built like brick shit houses dipped in titanium and can move incredibly fast.” He pointed at a tan dinosaur, the largest of them all. “That there is my personal ride. I call him Andy, but I don’t think he likes it.”
”No Tears Left in the Flipside” was so good! I’d love a prequel of the missing tourists, leading up to the events of the short story.
“Extinction” was an awesome concept! Zombie dinosaurs? Hell yes!!
“The First Man on Earth” was a heartbreaking story about one man’s mission to save the world. I loved following Ray on his journey, and the ending was ♥️👌🏽
A few submissions were excellent thrillers that could be expanded into full length novels. Some had me laughing out loud; “Anky Squad”, really?!
Favourite Lines: “Those are ankylosauria, some of the last dinos to roam the Earth. They’re built like brick shit houses dipped in titanium and can move incredibly fast.” He pointed at a tan dinosaur, the largest of them all. “That there is my personal ride. I call him Andy, but I don’t think he likes it.”
”No Tears Left in the Flipside” was so good! I’d love a prequel of the missing tourists, leading up to the events of the short story.
“Extinction” was an awesome concept! Zombie dinosaurs? Hell yes!!
“The First Man on Earth” was a heartbreaking story about one man’s mission to save the world. I loved following Ray on his journey, and the ending was ♥️👌🏽
June 18, 2025
Hm
I have some mixed feelings about this collection.
The first half of stories are somewhat of a slog to get through, but that just might be me having some fatigue towards military/spec-ops style fiction.
The second half is noticeably better. Some standouts include 'North Sea Hunters', 'The Mantle', and 'Closure'.
Not a bad collection, but not one I'll be in a hurry to read again soon.
I have some mixed feelings about this collection.
The first half of stories are somewhat of a slog to get through, but that just might be me having some fatigue towards military/spec-ops style fiction.
The second half is noticeably better. Some standouts include 'North Sea Hunters', 'The Mantle', and 'Closure'.
Not a bad collection, but not one I'll be in a hurry to read again soon.
July 13, 2019
Great Stories but...
I really liked the diverse range of characters and storylines. Military, mad scientists, evil organizations, and smart dinosaurs; this book has it all. I did not give it a five star review cause if they had the f word in there once, they had it a thousand times. Got to where I was just cringing at times. Really took away from what could have been well written stories.
I really liked the diverse range of characters and storylines. Military, mad scientists, evil organizations, and smart dinosaurs; this book has it all. I did not give it a five star review cause if they had the f word in there once, they had it a thousand times. Got to where I was just cringing at times. Really took away from what could have been well written stories.
July 15, 2019
A solid anthology, well-worth reading if you crave dinosaurs, monsters, or military SF.
August 8, 2022
Anthologies are always hit or miss, I find. Editors need to find a balance of different ideas and styles, and sometimes that can result in stories that miss the mark for one reader but deliver for another.
In my experience, this was a middling selection of stories. A few were particularly fun, but the rest didn't really work for me.
Before I continue my overall thoughts, I need to mention that the first story nearly put me off continuing. It's one where I want to hope the intentions of the author differed from the outcome. The protagonist is a reprehensible person, yet the story seems to want us to root for them. I won't use the word here in case Instagram/Goodreads try to silence me, but I'm sure other reviews mention it without hesitation.
After that, the stories did pick up. There was a decent variety of prehistoric animals and characters, and the plots escaped being mundane or falling into the same old tropes (though there were a few).
I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more variety in the storytelling. Most of the stories were third person past tense, which made it hard to differentiate themselves looking back.
Still, a decent collection if I overlook the sameness and the first story. A few of your typical dinosaur choices, but a few more interesting options too.
Best stories for me were:
Apex by Jeff Brackett
Norse Sea Hunters by Brad Harmer-Barnes
Operation: Severn by William Meikle
The First Man on Earth by Geoff Jones
Jeremiah's Puzzle by Alan Baxter
Closure by Tim Waggoner
So a 50/50 book overall, probably.
Also, there were no Spinosaurus in this book, despite the cover image. Not a bad thing, not false advertising, but a little disappointing.
Also also, forgot to mention that this anthology delivers on horror elements, and they didn't always come from the expected directions. If you like horror and dinosaurs, worth a read.
In my experience, this was a middling selection of stories. A few were particularly fun, but the rest didn't really work for me.
Before I continue my overall thoughts, I need to mention that the first story nearly put me off continuing. It's one where I want to hope the intentions of the author differed from the outcome. The protagonist is a reprehensible person, yet the story seems to want us to root for them. I won't use the word here in case Instagram/Goodreads try to silence me, but I'm sure other reviews mention it without hesitation.
After that, the stories did pick up. There was a decent variety of prehistoric animals and characters, and the plots escaped being mundane or falling into the same old tropes (though there were a few).
I was slightly disappointed that there wasn't more variety in the storytelling. Most of the stories were third person past tense, which made it hard to differentiate themselves looking back.
Still, a decent collection if I overlook the sameness and the first story. A few of your typical dinosaur choices, but a few more interesting options too.
Best stories for me were:
Apex by Jeff Brackett
Norse Sea Hunters by Brad Harmer-Barnes
Operation: Severn by William Meikle
The First Man on Earth by Geoff Jones
Jeremiah's Puzzle by Alan Baxter
Closure by Tim Waggoner
So a 50/50 book overall, probably.
Also, there were no Spinosaurus in this book, despite the cover image. Not a bad thing, not false advertising, but a little disappointing.
Also also, forgot to mention that this anthology delivers on horror elements, and they didn't always come from the expected directions. If you like horror and dinosaurs, worth a read.
August 27, 2023
I love dinosaurs, but I did not love this short story collection.
We start with the first short story being about a pedophile who is the supposed "hero" of the story - HURK (insert vomit noises here.)
You've got three authors in here who were worth reading: Alan Baxter, Geoff Jones, and of course, Hunter Shea. That being said, Jones' story was more time travel, less dinos, Shea did his usual creature feature, and Baxter's story was awesome - even better than The Roo, which is saying something because that book is flippin' spectacular.
I snagged this one because of those three names. HOWEVER, if I had never heard of those authors, and I was coming into this book blind, I would have immediately DNF'd this on the basis of Larsson's questionable decision to a) include the David Achord story and b) put it as the first story.
Now, this may have been Larsson's first attempt at editing, I don't know and I don't care to look it up, but everyone knows that the first story is meant to be representative of what you can expect throughout the rest of the short story collection, and as such, Larsson failed spectacularly at his job as an editor.
There are so many better dino stories out there. Read it for those three authors, trash the rest.
We start with the first short story being about a pedophile who is the supposed "hero" of the story - HURK (insert vomit noises here.)
You've got three authors in here who were worth reading: Alan Baxter, Geoff Jones, and of course, Hunter Shea. That being said, Jones' story was more time travel, less dinos, Shea did his usual creature feature, and Baxter's story was awesome - even better than The Roo, which is saying something because that book is flippin' spectacular.
I snagged this one because of those three names. HOWEVER, if I had never heard of those authors, and I was coming into this book blind, I would have immediately DNF'd this on the basis of Larsson's questionable decision to a) include the David Achord story and b) put it as the first story.
Now, this may have been Larsson's first attempt at editing, I don't know and I don't care to look it up, but everyone knows that the first story is meant to be representative of what you can expect throughout the rest of the short story collection, and as such, Larsson failed spectacularly at his job as an editor.
There are so many better dino stories out there. Read it for those three authors, trash the rest.
April 17, 2025
I picked this up hoping for the best but also trying to tamp my expectations down. The latter proved to be the better course as reading progressed. Now, if you like dinosaurs and fictional stories of them (and I do!) and you love some twisted scifi tales that somehow put them in a human time/space framework (or vice versa) and you like these tales to be gritty, scary and more than a little bloody (again, I do!) then this is a volume you should definitely tuck into your reading list. That all said, I found most of the stories to be threadbare of anything to really hook me otherwise. Most seemed barebones tossings together of dinos and people with almost silly premises that made for tiresome reads story after story that kept to this formula. Still there were a couple interesting reads in the mix - Operation: SEVERN by William Meikle and No Tears on the Flip Side by Jake Bible.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
January 18, 2022
‘The Keldos’ by David Achord – 2.5 stars
‘Apex’ by Jeff Brackett – 4 stars (let down by piranha propaganda)
‘Cult of the Cretaceous’ by Hunter Shea – 3 stars
‘No Tears Left in the Flipside’ by Jake Bible – 4 stars
‘Norse Sea Hunters’ by Brad Harmer-Barnes – 3 stars
‘Operation: Severn’ by William Meikle – 3.5 stars
‘Extinction’ by Rich Restucci – 2.5 stars
‘The First Man on Earth’ by Geoff Jones – 3 stars
‘Sauria’ by Tim Curran – 3 stars
‘Lost Island’ by David Wood – 2.5 stars
‘Jeremiah’s Puzzle’ by Alan Baxter – 3.5 stars (has two of the most bizarre comparisons I think I've ever seen - 1) a character had a "voice like a mudslide,"; 2) "He moved the way Caroline imagined kelp might if it could walk.")
‘Mantle’ by Rick Chesler – 2.5 stars
‘Closure’ by Tim Waggoner – 3 stars
‘Apex’ by Jeff Brackett – 4 stars (let down by piranha propaganda)
‘Cult of the Cretaceous’ by Hunter Shea – 3 stars
‘No Tears Left in the Flipside’ by Jake Bible – 4 stars
‘Norse Sea Hunters’ by Brad Harmer-Barnes – 3 stars
‘Operation: Severn’ by William Meikle – 3.5 stars
‘Extinction’ by Rich Restucci – 2.5 stars
‘The First Man on Earth’ by Geoff Jones – 3 stars
‘Sauria’ by Tim Curran – 3 stars
‘Lost Island’ by David Wood – 2.5 stars
‘Jeremiah’s Puzzle’ by Alan Baxter – 3.5 stars (has two of the most bizarre comparisons I think I've ever seen - 1) a character had a "voice like a mudslide,"; 2) "He moved the way Caroline imagined kelp might if it could walk.")
‘Mantle’ by Rick Chesler – 2.5 stars
‘Closure’ by Tim Waggoner – 3 stars
May 25, 2020
A great collection.....
Lots of good dino tales. A little of everything. Adventure, horror, revenge and more. I got a taste of several new authors. A little bloody as dino tales tend to be, so not for younger readers. If you want to know how dinos interact with humans then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.
Lots of good dino tales. A little of everything. Adventure, horror, revenge and more. I got a taste of several new authors. A little bloody as dino tales tend to be, so not for younger readers. If you want to know how dinos interact with humans then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.
July 16, 2023
I found it to be a bit hit and miss, some of the stories were great, I particularly enjoyed the one with the T-Rex in a village fiet, and others just didn't work for me... meat eating, bipedal anklyosauria...
August 27, 2020
A good read
A lot of short stories that were really interesting with twists....well written and read it in less than a day.
A lot of short stories that were really interesting with twists....well written and read it in less than a day.
July 31, 2019
Sometimes, you don't know whether you like a certain genre or sub-genre of fiction until you read something in that genre.
The more that I read from Severed press, the more I know that I enjoy the books that they put out, especially those with dinosaurs. So when this collection of dinosaur stories came out, I was very excited to dive in. And with two of my favorite authors in the collection, I knew I would enjoy it.
And I did. Prehistoric is a collection of what can happen when man and the mighty lizard beasts meet. Sometimes it's man going back in time, others have them coming to modern day. But each story makes for a fun read. I highly enjoyed and recommend this book.
The more that I read from Severed press, the more I know that I enjoy the books that they put out, especially those with dinosaurs. So when this collection of dinosaur stories came out, I was very excited to dive in. And with two of my favorite authors in the collection, I knew I would enjoy it.
And I did. Prehistoric is a collection of what can happen when man and the mighty lizard beasts meet. Sometimes it's man going back in time, others have them coming to modern day. But each story makes for a fun read. I highly enjoyed and recommend this book.
August 24, 2019
Saw this recommended somewhere and as I've been a fan of dinosaurs for as long as I can remember, I gave it a try. Good choices for an anthology. I discovered a couple of new authors as well, David Wood has an interesting series with a character named Dane Maddock.
November 20, 2019
Great short stories
Most of these stories were built around what would happen if dinosaurs got into our time or we reverted to theirs. Some are better than others but that is expected in an anthology. I recommend you read this!!
Most of these stories were built around what would happen if dinosaurs got into our time or we reverted to theirs. Some are better than others but that is expected in an anthology. I recommend you read this!!
August 21, 2019
3 Stars
In all of the stories the dinosaurs are covered in feathers which ruins the book for me. I want to see the characters attacked by a T- Rex not Big Bird.
In all of the stories the dinosaurs are covered in feathers which ruins the book for me. I want to see the characters attacked by a T- Rex not Big Bird.
Read
September 24, 2019some good premises, not very satisfyingly fulfilled
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