You are a smaller dinosaur, preparing to match wits and claws with a large T-Rex. You pull your claws and prepare for battle…a
mammal, small and furry, passes beneath your feet and takes your attention away at just the wrong time…
If you like speculative fiction that contains inklings of fact, you’ll like this book. Not fiction, but not exactly non-fiction, Ultimate Dinosaurs is a quasi-science book on the subject of dinosaurs. Here we find fiction by Ray Bradbury, essays by Robert Silverberg and David J. Archibald, speculation by the great writer Poul Anderson, and illustrations by Wayne D. Barlowe, to name just a few of the contributors. No topic is left uncovered. From the first dinosaurs to the last of the Cretaceous, from dinosaur predators to migration and behavior, each has its own section and contributions. For each section there is an essay, speculation and illustrations to encourage the reader to think about the topic.
As a collaborative effort, the style is variable. Pictures are vivid and thought-provoking, and the articles lend the scientific accuracy that is expected without compromising the artistic value of the book.
In addition to the wealth of creativity, the Appendix relates more solid information regarding dinosaurs, including land and animal distribution within the periods of the Mesozoic, a chart of dinosaur radiations (how crocodiles are related to the Pterosaurs and Archeopteryes, for example,) and a generous biography of each of the contributors.
Ultimate Dinosaurs, as the title claims, is the ultimate in creativity and science mixed together. At well over three hundred pages, there is plenty for the budding paleontologist to explore. Just as important, if you’re just a layman or a student interested in dinosaurs and want a good read with a lot of information and entertainment as well, this is the paleontology book for you.