Dinotopia Lost

Dinotopia: Complete #7

by Alan Dean Foster

For countless centuries, the Land Apart from Time has been protected from intruders by the coral reefs surrounding the island. But when a storm-tossed ship finds its way to the shore, this lost world of humans and dinosaurs will be utterly exposed -- to a crew of pirates...

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Dinosaurs, Adventure, Young Adult, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Bestselling science fiction writer Alan Dean Foster was born in New York City in 1946, but raised mainly in California. He received a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA in 1968, and a M.F.A. in 1969. Foster lives in Arizona with his wife, but he enjoys traveling because it gives him opportunities to meet new people and explore new places and cultures. This interest is carried over to his writing, but with a twist: the new places encountered in his books are likely to be on another planet, and the people may belong to an alien race.

Foster began his career as an author when a letter he sent to Arkham Collection was purchased by the editor and published in the magazine in 1968. His first novel, The Tar-Aiym Krang, introduced the Humanx Commonwealth, a galactic alliance between humans and an insectlike race called Thranx. Several other novels, including the Icerigger trilogy, are also set in the world of the Commonwealth. The Tar-Aiym Krang also marked the first appearance of Flinx, a young man with paranormal abilities, who reappears in other books, including Orphan Star, For Love of Mother-Not, and Flinx in Flux.

Foster has also written The Damned series and the Spellsinger series, which includes The Hour of the Gate, The Moment of the Magician, The Paths of the Perambulator, and Son of Spellsinger, among others. Other books include novelizations of science fiction movies and television shows such as Star Trek, The Black Hole, Starman, Star Wars, and the Alien movies. Splinter of the Mind's Eye, a bestselling novel based on the Star Wars movies, received the Galaxy Award in 1979. The book Cyber Way won the Southwest Book Award for Fiction in 1990. His novel Our Lady of the Machine won him the UPC Award (Spain) in 1993. He also won the Ignotus Award (Spain) in 1994 and the Stannik Award (Russia) in 2000.

Reviews

[Luca Morandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessante l'idea e l'esecuzione, anche se un filo banale a volte.
Molto bello il personaggio del deinonico, davvero cool e inaspettato.
Il protagonista troppo Gary stu: bravo in tutto, appassionato di tutto, figo, bello, bravo ecc... Non gliene va mai una storta e questo non fa bene alla storia

[Rosemary · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 An enjoyable adventure novel. I loved the world building and had a fun time with this. It was a quick and easy read. The plot was simple and predictable in a few places, but the characters and setting were so much fun!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this adventure set in the world of Dinotopia. It wasn't quite as enjoyable as the actual Dinotopia books but it was still entertaining to read. I really liked seeing Will Dennison as one of the major characters, it really helped connect this novel to the other books. The only thing missing from this book was the awesome art that accompanies the other stories but it was easy enough to imagine in the style of the world. 4/5 stars.

[Jonathan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. Foster knows how to rock that alliteration (garrulous Gallimimus was my personal favorite), and I enjoyed how he switched from human to dinosaur to human viewpoints within less than a sentence of each other. He does a good job of making the language barriers clear while at the same time blending it together so we don't have to waste time trying to decipher things ourselves. I did think it was a little odd that Arthur Denison is barely mentioned and then done away with completely, but I'm told there's a second book so maybe he was refreshing memories in preparation for that one. Hopefully I can find it, this got me in the mood to spend more time in this awesome world.

[Timothy Pitkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half is kind of boring but I do like the idea of what would happen if someone evil does end up on Dinotopia as none of the previous books every really did something like this. As most of the people who end up on Dinotopia are not evil and are usually just common people. But my main problems is that it just has such a slow build up and there is so little action in this story as it is mostly talking.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great bc I am a huge fan of dinosaurs and the book Dinotopia by Jame Gurney. This book has the same characters as Dinotopia but there are also some new characters bc the book is not the same. It's more about how the dinosaurs interact with the humans and humans that have chosen to stay on Dinotopia have adapted to a different way of life that is particular to the dinosaurs. There are mentions of a lot of the places that are in Dinotopia but my favourite was at the Tree Tops. It was an elaborate decision and if there was a wrong move a person or dinosaur could fall to their death. While in Dinotopa it is Will and his father that are stranded by a terrible storm, this book has people coming from England and getting trapped in a storm which leads them to Dinotopia. I also really enjoyed the Dinosaurs communicating with each other and how it sounded as well as how Will had to figure out if he could compromise and speak some of the language. The book brings the principles of working together/teamwork/assisting each other with situations that arise on the spot and also how to make the best out of a bad situation. While I would not give this book a 5 star rating, I would give it a 3.5 but being generous I will give it a 4.

[Lala · Rating 3 out of 5]

***

An extreme weather pattern allows a group of pirates to land upon the shores of Dinotopia with their ship intact. They quickly go about plundering the island of its ancient treasures and take several dinosaurs in order to sell them- including a juvenile T-Rex. Will Denison, joined by Chaz, an irascible junior Protoceratops translator, and Keelk, a young Struthiomimus whose entire family was taken, undergo a rescue mission.

Surprisingly, most of the book is through the pirates POV. Chaz was quite an entertaining character, and the scenes where they teamed up with the the Tyrannosaur parents were great. Overall, this was a fun little adventure story, charming and humorous in places. I recommend it if you want a bit more from the world of Dinotopia. This is a full novel, unlike the middle-grade books, and even features one of the main characters from the original series in a starring role.

Personal history: Purchased.

[Evergreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alan Dean Foster wrote an interesting story on what would happen if outsiders were actually able to get in and out of Dinotopia and what would've been the consequences if that were to happen. The book had me on edge. Of course there were plenty of laughs for me as well. I could just picture poor Chaz trying to not panic while flying in an air balloon or trying to not get swept away by 40 foot waves to come out moaning and feeling dizzy. All the while he's making sarcastic remarks before and afterwards. I loved the fact that he eventually began to admire and respect Will. Even though he's dinosaur, without the ability to perform facial expressions, I could easily see him making them. Him and Will were the best comedian pair in this story. Of course, Will was one of the heroes, which in a way works out perfectly.

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute (in a scale-y, tooth-y, pirate-y way)! I've always loved dinosaurs so this book was right up my alley. A good moral story filled with action and intricate attention to detail. The Tyrannosaurs were magnificent, but Chaz (the little Protoceratops) was my favorite. Sarcastically snarky, but loveable.
My favorite scene that made me snort was when Will, Keelk and Chaz were going onward without the T-Rex parents and were discussing that they had actually given them T-Rex names: [Chaz] "I am Slayswithwords."...[Will] "What about me?" "You?" A hint of amusement crept into the Protoceratops's voice. "You are Hat." "Hat? That's all? Just Hat?" "What did you expect, riding about on[top of] that male's head all this time?"

Hat. 😂🤣

[Carlos Costa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Os primeiros capítulos começaram por não me cativar muito, mas conforme fui lendo, a narrativa aos poucos ganhou interesse, conseguindo inclusive prender-me até ao final. O que este romance aparenta perder com os seus primeiros capítulos, ele recupera nos seguintes. Claro que não estou a dizer que o conteúdo dos primeiros capítulos não seja útil, estou a dizer que apesar da monotonia inicial, não devemos desistir de ler este livro ou de o rejeitar. Os primeiros capítulos contextualizam os últimos, nada aqui neste romance foi escrito ao acaso.

[Kirsten Simkiss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe it was just because I haven’t read a great number of books in this series, but I found the character interactions to be kind of sitcom-like and almost preachy at times. I went into this knowing it was meant for children, but it was pretty challenging for me, as an adult, to want to continue reading this book. That being said, the world and the cultures and the plot are all very good. For these reasons, I have given this book 3 stars.

[Maris McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might seem odd to describe this as a defining book, but when I read this and other Dinotopia books as a young teen they helped shape my sense of responsibility and even some of my political ideas. The writing style seems a little dated (it's more plot driven than character driven, unlike the modern YA books I read) but I still loved it when rereading it recently and recommend it, particularly if you've liked other Dinotopica books but haven't read this yet.

[Dani Jameson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I bought it on a whim thinking it'd be more like the original but it turned out to be a sort of fan fiction. So that's on me. Also the illustrations and first person accounts of the first one are pretty hard to compete with.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent addition to the Dinotopia ethos!

[grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would

[Brad]

Dinotopia Universe

[Andrés · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a fortunate accident I read the second one first (which I enjoyed a lot), because this one wasn't very compelling to me.

[Megan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's complex writing style, broad vocabulary, and impressive understanding of human nature brought a needed level of realism to this children's fantasy world.

[Jill White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun fantasy about a civilization of humans and dinosaurs living in harmony until pirates are washed ashore. Love the imagination and story.

[laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love my dino island !!! <3 pirates land on shore during 6 year storm and run amuck

[A Hoppy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
What a wild ride with Ppirates and dinosaurs. It was nice to see how Dinotopians respond to conflict and some finer points on what life on this island is like. It was also nice to see Will again; I wasn't expecting to see anyone from the original series.
It's good to know they have doctors here. From what I've read so far (just the original first book) Dinotopia is virtually a paradise where no one ever gets sick or hurt and the is no conflict of any kind. Which begs the question; what happens if their peaceful lives get upended? Which is why this is such a fresh take on Dinotopia. Between the nexplored lost city and the forgotten/undiscovered trails through the mountains maybe it's time for an expedition of discovery.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a child, I loved Dinotopia stories! All of them involved exploring and danger and adventure. More often than not, I found myself more attached to the saurian characters than the human. I was first interested in Dinotopia when I saw the Hallmark mini-series. It wasn't until one of my friend's loaned me "The World Beneath" and "A Land Apart from Time" that I realized how much the TV series distorted James Gurney's original stories - a fact that still irks me to no end. I was sorry that James Gurney hadn't written more Dinotopia books - his were my favorites -, but I gobbled up the paperback series very quickly, as well as the two books Alan Dean Foster has written - "The Hand of Dinotopia" and now "Dinotopia Lost." The only Dinotopia book I haven't read is "First Flight" - which is, unfortunately, extremely difficult to gets one's hands on because it is out of print.

"Dinotopia Lost" wasn't entirely a letdown. It had the same sense of adventure and exploration. Even though these stories take place in a utopian society, the villains always get their comeuppance. Their demise is rarely as satisfying as it could be, but at least people still die. And one cannot have a good adventure story without some characters dying. What I have always mainly loved about these stories is the era. I love the fact that James Gurney chose the 19th century - and added a great deal of that same flavor to Dinotopia itself. I doubt I would have been as enchanted with his world if he had done otherwise.

But reading these stories now, at an older age, is interesting. I have a different perspective on it. I still love the adventure, the humor, and of course Will Denison (I wish this particular one had had Sylvia in it; she's a favorite as well). But when I was little, I was able to block out the flaws in basing stories in a utopian society and just enjoy the adventure. Now, it was more difficult. I couldn't ignore Alan Dean Foster's spouting of utopian ideals - aspects that always made the TV mini-series nauseating to me, even as a child - and the overall sense that he was disparaging the world. I tried to become drawn into the story, but with every phrase consisting of "in harmony with" or "helping each other", I could not help but repeat silently to myself, Utopian societies just don't work. History has proven that. The nice thing about James Gurney's Dinotopia books is he spends more time concentrating on the adventure and exploration than ideals.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that irritated me about "Dinotopia Lost." There are pirates. Now, pirates were in existence in some parts of world during the 19th century - pirates still exist to this day. But the pirates in this story seemed as if they belonged more in some poorly-written swashbuckler, whose author (it is painfully obvious) has spent all of his life in a landlocked location and has gained all of his "sea knowledge" from equally-inaccurate sources like "Pirates of the Caribbean."

I will always enjoy Dinotopia stories to an extent - they were a part of my childhood. But reading ones that are written by someone else other than James Gurney are not as enjoyable now as it once was. Still, I am pleased to at last be able to say that I have read all Dinotopia books, save one.

[Eskana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've always had in interesting relationship with Dinotopia. I love the James Gurney artwork and all the stories and novels, even the novel series. On the other hand, I know that if it existed in real life, I would probably not believe that dinosaurs were sentient and on the same level as humans... but I enjoy reading it all the same.

Foster writes Dinotopia really well, staying true to the spirit that Gurney created of peace, friendship, respect, and benignity that was in the original stories. He also is very familiar with the workings of the country, including how most people don't speak the same language and need translators to deal with the dinosaurs. And even though, like I said, I don't know if I would treat dinosaurs like people and not animals, it seems completely reasonable to me in the flow of the book.

This story focuses mainly on Will Denison, a character from the original books, a young man who has been living on Dinotopia with his father after being shipwrecked six years before. He is a Skybax rider, but is still learning a lot about Dinotopia and his place in it. On the eve of a terrible "six-year storm" (like a hurricane that hits the island every 6 years,) a ship of pirates miraculously lands off the north coast. They begin exploring and are quickly caught up in dreams of riches to be made from catching the exotic dinosaurs living there. When a struthiomimus family is captured, the Dinotopians are alerted, but it is Will, Chaz the proceratops, and one of the struthies who rushes into the Rainy Basin to rescue them.

I really enjoyed this story, even though it is a bit predictable. The characters are simplistic but not stupid; everything they do makes sense to them, but they are a little flat. Dinotopians=good, pirates=bad, for example, unless they are interested in science and knowledge, of course. Will is pretty much the same as he ever was, and the struthies don't get much attention, but I liked the character of Chaz. Chaz is like Bix from the original series, a proceratops who works as a translator, but his sarcastic sense of humor made him a nice addition among the nicey-niceness of the Dinotopians (although he's never mean or anything.)

If you're looking for a simple adventure/rescue story, if you like Dinosaurs or Dinotopia, or even just good vs. bad (not evil) stories, this is enjoyable and well-written. But don't go looking for gray characters or anyone struggling to accept the Dinotopian way of life... because that never happens.

[Matthew Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

why i decided to read this book: this book was recommended to me by a friend and i enjoy these types of books
Bingo Board category: this book goes into the sci-fi/ fantasy book. i like this category because these are the types of books that i usually read.
Favorite quote: 'in dinotopia people travel everywhere with flowers. they're considered as essential to a long and happy life as food or drink'
something i learned: i learned about a lot of different types of dinosaurs and their habits.
a character that was interesting: prettykill is a young tyrannosaurus rex. she is interesting because she forms a friendship with a human.

[Travis]

It seems well enough written, but it just doesn't hook me for some reason. Maybe part of the problem is that it is written, since the more attractive part of the original Dinotopia is the art, and because narrative requires that things which could be ambiguous in a drawing (the exact relationship between people (both human and saurian) interacting) must be made explicit. Also, it seems like there is too much emphasis on the inability to communicate because of non-shared languages, which is dumb because people will develop pidgins or other alternate methods of communication if needed. I may come back to this latter though.

[Alex Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Either because I'm much older than when I first fell in love with Dinotopia or because of the ending of this book I now realize Dinotopia is not a utopia, it is a dystopia. Why do you think everyone always just gets along and goes with the governing bodies with little to no question? Its because dissenters who take more than a book to get with the program are fed to the denizens of the rainy basin. No place is that perfect and happy with even people from the outside world just accepting the status quo. What do you think is really in the baskets of fish the caravans are always dropping off?
Crazy conspiracy aside, the book is alright, but doesn't, in my opinion, stand up to the originals.

[Meredith Miyake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful adventure, and a worthy addition to the world of Dinotopia. Full of humor, thought and suspense. I have loved the Gurney books since I was very young and was absolutely thrilled to enjoy this one.

A must-read for Dinotopia fans.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing style is a bit too verbose. The story is fun to read, but the word choices usually end up being slightly exotic or obscure. We are reading it aloud for our family book time. Some sentences are difficult to speak out loud!

[Erinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read any Dinotopia books before, but I have read a few of Foster's books which is why I picked this one up. I found it quite enjoyable.

[Ann Seeton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Dinotopia so I enjoyed this adventure.