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Eocene Station
A new Dave Duncan novel is always a reason to celebrate, and his trademark blend of high adventure, hard science, and wry humour makes Eocene Station a must read.
K. N. ‘Cannon’ Ball and his superstar wife, Tempest, are running for their lives. Cannon has exposed a fraud so huge even heads of government are implicated and determined to keep Cannon from ever testifying. Nowhere is safe, so they step out of time to a research station fifty million years in the past. The dinosaurs died out eons ago and there aren't any people around, so they ought to be safe then, right? Wrong, very wrong!
K. N. ‘Cannon’ Ball and his superstar wife, Tempest, are running for their lives. Cannon has exposed a fraud so huge even heads of government are implicated and determined to keep Cannon from ever testifying. Nowhere is safe, so they step out of time to a research station fifty million years in the past. The dinosaurs died out eons ago and there aren't any people around, so they ought to be safe then, right? Wrong, very wrong!
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2016
7 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Dave Duncan
140 books591 followersOriginally from Scotland, Dave Duncan lived all his adult life in Western Canada, having enjoyed a long career as a petroleum geologist before taking up writing. Since discovering that imaginary worlds were more satisfying than the real one, he published more than 60 novels, mostly in the fantasy genre, but also young adult, science fiction, and historical.
He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")
His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.
He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.
He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.
He wrote at times under the pseudonym Sarah B. Franklin (but only for literary purposes) and Ken Hood (which is short for "D'ye Ken Whodunit?")
His most successful works were fantasy series: The Seventh Sword, A Man of His Word and its sequel, A Handful of Men, and seven books about The King’s Blades. His books have been translated into 15 languages, and of late have been appearing in audiobook format as well.
He and Janet were married in 1959. He is survived by her, one son and two daughters, as well as four grandchildren.
He was both a founding and honorary lifetime member of SFCanada, and a member of the CSFFA Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 1, 2021
I picked this one up because of its paleontology theme, and it's one of Duncan's last books -- he died in 2018. I'm sorry to report that it's not very good. It does move right along, and he got the paleontology right. But the characters are, well, straight from Central Casting, the plot is hackneyed and doesn't make much sense.... This is the weakest Duncan book I've read. I did finish it, after putting it down for awhile, after . As always, read the publisher's blurb (above) first. And some of the other reviews.
Duncan has written some very good books. If you are new to Duncan, don't start here! If you like light SF adventure, I recommend his "Wildcatter", https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Duncan has written some very good books. If you are new to Duncan, don't start here! If you like light SF adventure, I recommend his "Wildcatter", https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 29, 2017
I struggled to enjoy this book. The premise of characters from the future going back to the remote past is great, but I found I was forcing myself to continue reading.
None of the characters were likeable, including the main couple.
The Eocene period that the majority of the story is set in didn't feel properly explored or realised. If the story had been set in any other time period it would have been exactly the same, so why pick the Eocene if you're not going to explore some special detail of that time?
The story felt incomplete, which might be because there are going to be further books in the series, but because of my lack of engagement with the characters due to their obnoxiousness, I don't feel compelled to keep reading.
Having said all that, this is still a Dave Duncan book and the writing is a cut above the rest. The societal changes in the future are interesting and well handled, I just didn't enjoy my reading experience.
None of the characters were likeable, including the main couple.
The Eocene period that the majority of the story is set in didn't feel properly explored or realised. If the story had been set in any other time period it would have been exactly the same, so why pick the Eocene if you're not going to explore some special detail of that time?
The story felt incomplete, which might be because there are going to be further books in the series, but because of my lack of engagement with the characters due to their obnoxiousness, I don't feel compelled to keep reading.
Having said all that, this is still a Dave Duncan book and the writing is a cut above the rest. The societal changes in the future are interesting and well handled, I just didn't enjoy my reading experience.
December 29, 2021
I love Dave Duncan, have read almost all his books, and cried when I learned he had died. That said, this book is terrible. Sexist and silly. Read his later works and let this one fade from memory.
October 26, 2016
This is a sci-fi/fantasy set in the near future. "Cannon" Ball is a corporate auditor who needs to lay low for a while after he upsets the entire European economy with one of his reports. His escape route isn't exactly what he'd expected.
The plot was really quite boring until the trip back in time. I knew it had to happen, but I had to wait too long for it. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters enough to hang with them in the meantime. The women, especially, are either bimbos or completely obsessed with themselves . . . or both. Cannon himself couldn't make up his mind about his own wife; should he dump her or jump her?
The writing is great overall, and the environment is a huge part of the story. Descriptions are very good. The atmosphere is heavy and the monsters intense. I am glad the author didn't go into too many details about how time travel was possible.
Quite a bit of violence and suspense at the end of the book; adult situations include a rape and lots of talk about sexual appetites.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.
The plot was really quite boring until the trip back in time. I knew it had to happen, but I had to wait too long for it. Unfortunately, I didn't like any of the characters enough to hang with them in the meantime. The women, especially, are either bimbos or completely obsessed with themselves . . . or both. Cannon himself couldn't make up his mind about his own wife; should he dump her or jump her?
The writing is great overall, and the environment is a huge part of the story. Descriptions are very good. The atmosphere is heavy and the monsters intense. I am glad the author didn't go into too many details about how time travel was possible.
Quite a bit of violence and suspense at the end of the book; adult situations include a rape and lots of talk about sexual appetites.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.
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January 20, 2018Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review as part of LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.
Eocene station is a book that could have been something neat if it hadn't been too obsessed with gender roles and misogyny. Only two of the women in the novel do anything of any real merit, but one is entirely too concerned with sex and the other is viewed as the mother of the station. The men seem to be the ones who really do anything like going exploring, standing guard, forming conspiracies, or killing threats.
In all honesty, I would not have continued reading the novel after if I had been reading the book casually. As it stands, the book is a fairly quick read and decently written, but I do not believe the end really justifies the pain of having to push yourself through these badly written women.
Eocene station is a book that could have been something neat if it hadn't been too obsessed with gender roles and misogyny. Only two of the women in the novel do anything of any real merit, but one is entirely too concerned with sex and the other is viewed as the mother of the station. The men seem to be the ones who really do anything like going exploring, standing guard, forming conspiracies, or killing threats.
In all honesty, I would not have continued reading the novel after if I had been reading the book casually. As it stands, the book is a fairly quick read and decently written, but I do not believe the end really justifies the pain of having to push yourself through these badly written women.
August 14, 2016
"Ees Marco"... It's been haunting me!
absolutely smashing. Very pleased to have what is really a feel-good story, with a hero flawed but potent and a backdrop movie-like in its depth and yet without any slacking of the sharp mental juggling needed to keep up with Duncan's characters. I was very pleased to get this a few months earlier than scheduled and, even if it's not a heavy work, it's splendid light reading with a great story and new characters to enjoy.
absolutely smashing. Very pleased to have what is really a feel-good story, with a hero flawed but potent and a backdrop movie-like in its depth and yet without any slacking of the sharp mental juggling needed to keep up with Duncan's characters. I was very pleased to get this a few months earlier than scheduled and, even if it's not a heavy work, it's splendid light reading with a great story and new characters to enjoy.
June 24, 2020
K. N. "Cannon" Ball and his superstar wife, Tempest, are running for their lives. Cannon has exposed a fraud so huge even heads of government are implicated and determined to keep Cannon from ever testifying. Nowhere is safe, so they step out of time to a research station 50 million years in the past. The dinosaurs died out eons ago and there aren't any people around, so they ought to be safe then, right? Wrong, very wrong!
January 28, 2017
Intriguing premise: time travel, not to the usual Jurassic/dinosaur period, but to the largely unknown Eocene epoch. Two larger than life characters--a hotshot auditor and his movie-star wife--quickly sucked me into the story and strong pacing pulled me through.
June 4, 2018
It took a bit to get into this book but I am glad I gave it a chance.A rip to to the Eocene is now the thriling thing that going to space used to be.An auditor on the lamb and his actress wife go to the eocene station to escape a death sentence.I hopr there will be a book 2.Damien Brunetto was a good narrator.I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
March 9, 2020
A rip-roaring adventure sans dinos but with equally deadly beasts!
September 16, 2016
The backcover blurb does a good job of conveying both the general plot and the tone of the book: a ballsy auditor brings down governments by exposing widespread corruption and has to hide from--well, from everybody--until after the first trials log in his testimony. No place on earth is safe, so he joins the small scientific community 50 million years in the past at Eocene Station, the one place governments and assassins can't reach him. Only, things aren't quite what they seem there, either, and the arrival of a big name auditor is not entirely welcome.
Although 'Cannon' Ball is a fun hero, his wife Tempest is the most interesting character, written with Duncan's trademark wry humour. A totally sexual being in a highly repressed puritanical future, she is the embodiment of every sex goddess ever. Sex, violence, and prehistoric monsters--what more could you want? (Full disclosure--I was the editor on this novel).
Although 'Cannon' Ball is a fun hero, his wife Tempest is the most interesting character, written with Duncan's trademark wry humour. A totally sexual being in a highly repressed puritanical future, she is the embodiment of every sex goddess ever. Sex, violence, and prehistoric monsters--what more could you want? (Full disclosure--I was the editor on this novel).
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews