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Quintaglio Ascension #2
Fossil Hunter
Fossil Hunter is hard SF in the tradition of Larry Niven about a world inhabited by the Quintaglios, a dinosaurian species that has evolved a human level of intelligence and culture.
Toroca, a Quintaglio geologist, is under attack for his controversial new theory of evolution. But the origins of his people turn out to be more complex than even he imagined, for he soon discovers the wreckage of an ancient starship -- a relic of the aliens who transplanted Earth's dinosaurs to this solar system. Now, Toroca must convince Emperor Dybo that evolution is true; otherwise, the territorial violence the Quintaglios inherited from their tyrannosaur ancestors will destroy the last survivors of Earth's prehistoric past.
Toroca, a Quintaglio geologist, is under attack for his controversial new theory of evolution. But the origins of his people turn out to be more complex than even he imagined, for he soon discovers the wreckage of an ancient starship -- a relic of the aliens who transplanted Earth's dinosaurs to this solar system. Now, Toroca must convince Emperor Dybo that evolution is true; otherwise, the territorial violence the Quintaglios inherited from their tyrannosaur ancestors will destroy the last survivors of Earth's prehistoric past.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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595 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Sawyer
227 books2,484 followersRobert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
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November 2, 2020
VALUTAZIONE PERSONALE: 3,8
In questo secondo volume della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy (titolo originale Fossil Hunter), continua la saga dei Quintaglio, la civiltà di rettili intelligenti alla quale mi sono indubbiamente affezionato.
Sebbene nel complesso la lettura mi abbia più che soddisfatto, questo secondo romanzo della trilogia mi ha però deluso sotto certi aspetti, in particolare inerenti ad alcune scelte narrative che mi hanno tutt'altro che entusiasmato e senza le quali, a mio modestissimo avviso, il romanzo ne avrebbe beneficiato in termini di sense of wonder ed imprevedibilità, la quale va ad un certo punto scemando, sebbene non al punto da compromettere del tutto l'appetibilità della lettura, almeno dal mio punto di vista.
Partiamo dagli aspetti che ho più apprezzato: in questo secondo volume la narrazione acquisisce un carattere decisamente più corale, caratteristica che permette una esplorazione maggiore degli aspetti più interessanti e controversi di questa civiltà di tirannosauridi e che, col procedere della trama principale, si riveleranno tutt' altro che secondari, preludio di ciò che ci si aspetta di leggere, tra l'altro, nel terzo e conclusivo capitolo della trilogia.
Mi è piaciuta moltissimo, inoltre, la caratterizzazione psicologica di alcuni personaggi e il tono più introspettivo di alcune sezioni, sebbene non manchino mai, sia chiaro, la pura azione e la speculazione (fanta)scientifica che rappresentano decisamente i punti di forza di questi primi due volumi della trilogia.
Veniamo alle noti dolenti: i paragrafi dedicati alle Riflessioni dell'Osservatore sono quelli che, mi duole ammetterlo, mi hanno deluso maggiormente e fatto scemare, almeno in parte, la mia iniziale crescente curiosità per l'intera vicenda, tenendomi incollato alle pagine.
Non che contenutisticamente siano scadenti: al contrario, se si è appassionati di fantascienza e si possiede qualche nozione di base sulle scienze naturali non possono che essere apprezzate (sebbene si tratti di qualcosa tutt'altro che originale) ,ma è la loro stessa presenza ed il fatto che, in fin dei conti, si tratti di meri spiegoni totalmente estemporanei alla narrazione principale, quasi fossero un corpo estraneo rispetto a quest'ultima, a renderli decisamente fastidiosi, con l'aggravante di pregiudicare l' imprevedibilità della stessa e la sorpresa del lettore nel prosieguo della lettura. Al contrario, sono proprio queste caratteristiche che rendono il primo volume della trilogia così avvincente e ben riuscito.
Insomma, se non fosse stato per quanto appena detto, la mia valutazione sarebbe stata anche più alta di quella data al termine della lettura del primo capitolo della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy: nel complesso, tuttavia, se trascuriamo questo incidente di percorso, Fossil Hunter rappresenta un degno sequel, con la speranza che venga corretto il tiro nell' ultimo volume di questa serie.
In questo secondo volume della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy (titolo originale Fossil Hunter), continua la saga dei Quintaglio, la civiltà di rettili intelligenti alla quale mi sono indubbiamente affezionato.
Sebbene nel complesso la lettura mi abbia più che soddisfatto, questo secondo romanzo della trilogia mi ha però deluso sotto certi aspetti, in particolare inerenti ad alcune scelte narrative che mi hanno tutt'altro che entusiasmato e senza le quali, a mio modestissimo avviso, il romanzo ne avrebbe beneficiato in termini di sense of wonder ed imprevedibilità, la quale va ad un certo punto scemando, sebbene non al punto da compromettere del tutto l'appetibilità della lettura, almeno dal mio punto di vista.
Partiamo dagli aspetti che ho più apprezzato: in questo secondo volume la narrazione acquisisce un carattere decisamente più corale, caratteristica che permette una esplorazione maggiore degli aspetti più interessanti e controversi di questa civiltà di tirannosauridi e che, col procedere della trama principale, si riveleranno tutt' altro che secondari, preludio di ciò che ci si aspetta di leggere, tra l'altro, nel terzo e conclusivo capitolo della trilogia.
Mi è piaciuta moltissimo, inoltre, la caratterizzazione psicologica di alcuni personaggi e il tono più introspettivo di alcune sezioni, sebbene non manchino mai, sia chiaro, la pura azione e la speculazione (fanta)scientifica che rappresentano decisamente i punti di forza di questi primi due volumi della trilogia.
Veniamo alle noti dolenti: i paragrafi dedicati alle Riflessioni dell'Osservatore sono quelli che, mi duole ammetterlo, mi hanno deluso maggiormente e fatto scemare, almeno in parte, la mia iniziale crescente curiosità per l'intera vicenda, tenendomi incollato alle pagine.
Non che contenutisticamente siano scadenti: al contrario, se si è appassionati di fantascienza e si possiede qualche nozione di base sulle scienze naturali non possono che essere apprezzate (sebbene si tratti di qualcosa tutt'altro che originale) ,ma è la loro stessa presenza ed il fatto che, in fin dei conti, si tratti di meri spiegoni totalmente estemporanei alla narrazione principale, quasi fossero un corpo estraneo rispetto a quest'ultima, a renderli decisamente fastidiosi, con l'aggravante di pregiudicare l' imprevedibilità della stessa e la sorpresa del lettore nel prosieguo della lettura. Al contrario, sono proprio queste caratteristiche che rendono il primo volume della trilogia così avvincente e ben riuscito.
Insomma, se non fosse stato per quanto appena detto, la mia valutazione sarebbe stata anche più alta di quella data al termine della lettura del primo capitolo della Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy: nel complesso, tuttavia, se trascuriamo questo incidente di percorso, Fossil Hunter rappresenta un degno sequel, con la speranza che venga corretto il tiro nell' ultimo volume di questa serie.
March 4, 2025
Originally posted on Journalstone
Picking up years after Far-Seer concludes, Fossil Hunter centers on Afsan’s children. They were not culled by the Bloodpriests, thus putting Afsan in the unusual position of knowing who his children are. Afsan is now advisor to the emperor, Dybo, and one of his sons, Toroca, leads a survey team of Land. Like his father, Toroca makes another discovery about their civilization that turns their whole worldview upside down: evolution.
The second book of Sawyer’s Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy is weaker than the first, but as a continuation of the first story’s main arc it is logical and interesting. Unlike Far-Seer, Fossil Hunter has multiple story lines running through it.
The main story is Toroca’s research, leading up to his theory of the true origin of their species, and it has nothing to do with God. There’s another thread involving Afsan’s children. They are unique in that they don’t seem to have a territorial reflex. We also find out that the government is not completely fair. The rulers of each providence are actually of the same family. The church spared them from going through the culling, and the weakest member of the clutch was chosen to be emperor so the church could manipulate the government. When this is revealed, the people are outraged that the highest members of their own government do not obey their most sacred laws. Society begins to break down. The governor of a providence, Rodlox, claims to be the rightful emperor, and he wants his throne.
The final story line I want to discuss takes place from an awkward point of view. Its name is the Watcher. The Watcher appears early on in the book, and the introduction is jarring because all of a sudden the narration takes us from the inhabitants of the Quintaglio’s moon to a first-person, omniscient view of the entire universe.
The Watcher is some non-corporeal being, and we deduce that the Watcher is responsible for transporting the Quintaglios (among others) from Earth to distant planets that were more suitable for them.
The Watcher is my only problem with this book. These musings are out of place and entirely unnecessary. We could’ve figured out what was going on without the Watcher’s first-person account. Toroca discovers the wreckage of the alien spacecraft that transported life to their world, which means the Watcher’s chapters only break the story’s point of view. The series is supposed to take place from the dinosaurs’ point of view. The Watcher uncomfortably takes the reader outside the story instead of letting the reader experience it for himself.
Furthermore, the very inclusion of an alien race creating their population takes the wind out of Toroca’s discovery of evolution. Afsan took God out of the sky, as well as placed them on one planet among countless others. Toroca does discover evolution, but thanks to the Watcher we know the Quintaglios didn’t really evolve, so it means very little.
By far the most interesting story is Rodlox’s challenge. Afsan’s solution to the problem, and to restore order to the people, is to recreate the culling on the royal family. Putting it in today’s terms, this means dropping every state governor in a pit with a hungry, flesh-eating, feral dinosaur, and the last man standing gets to be president. It’s extreme, and Afsan puts his friend’s life on the line, but if it restores the people’s faith in the system, it’s worth it. This isn’t cruel, or outrageous. It’s a logical way for sentient dinosaurs to handle the situation. The final battle is epic, and the victor now deserves to be emperor.
As part of the trilogy, it continues the story very well. If I just forget about the Watcher, it’s a great read. Oddly, this story actually makes more sense after reading Foreigner, the third book in the series.
Picking up years after Far-Seer concludes, Fossil Hunter centers on Afsan’s children. They were not culled by the Bloodpriests, thus putting Afsan in the unusual position of knowing who his children are. Afsan is now advisor to the emperor, Dybo, and one of his sons, Toroca, leads a survey team of Land. Like his father, Toroca makes another discovery about their civilization that turns their whole worldview upside down: evolution.
The second book of Sawyer’s Quintaglio Ascension Trilogy is weaker than the first, but as a continuation of the first story’s main arc it is logical and interesting. Unlike Far-Seer, Fossil Hunter has multiple story lines running through it.
The main story is Toroca’s research, leading up to his theory of the true origin of their species, and it has nothing to do with God. There’s another thread involving Afsan’s children. They are unique in that they don’t seem to have a territorial reflex. We also find out that the government is not completely fair. The rulers of each providence are actually of the same family. The church spared them from going through the culling, and the weakest member of the clutch was chosen to be emperor so the church could manipulate the government. When this is revealed, the people are outraged that the highest members of their own government do not obey their most sacred laws. Society begins to break down. The governor of a providence, Rodlox, claims to be the rightful emperor, and he wants his throne.
The final story line I want to discuss takes place from an awkward point of view. Its name is the Watcher. The Watcher appears early on in the book, and the introduction is jarring because all of a sudden the narration takes us from the inhabitants of the Quintaglio’s moon to a first-person, omniscient view of the entire universe.
The Watcher is some non-corporeal being, and we deduce that the Watcher is responsible for transporting the Quintaglios (among others) from Earth to distant planets that were more suitable for them.
The Watcher is my only problem with this book. These musings are out of place and entirely unnecessary. We could’ve figured out what was going on without the Watcher’s first-person account. Toroca discovers the wreckage of the alien spacecraft that transported life to their world, which means the Watcher’s chapters only break the story’s point of view. The series is supposed to take place from the dinosaurs’ point of view. The Watcher uncomfortably takes the reader outside the story instead of letting the reader experience it for himself.
Furthermore, the very inclusion of an alien race creating their population takes the wind out of Toroca’s discovery of evolution. Afsan took God out of the sky, as well as placed them on one planet among countless others. Toroca does discover evolution, but thanks to the Watcher we know the Quintaglios didn’t really evolve, so it means very little.
By far the most interesting story is Rodlox’s challenge. Afsan’s solution to the problem, and to restore order to the people, is to recreate the culling on the royal family. Putting it in today’s terms, this means dropping every state governor in a pit with a hungry, flesh-eating, feral dinosaur, and the last man standing gets to be president. It’s extreme, and Afsan puts his friend’s life on the line, but if it restores the people’s faith in the system, it’s worth it. This isn’t cruel, or outrageous. It’s a logical way for sentient dinosaurs to handle the situation. The final battle is epic, and the victor now deserves to be emperor.
As part of the trilogy, it continues the story very well. If I just forget about the Watcher, it’s a great read. Oddly, this story actually makes more sense after reading Foreigner, the third book in the series.
July 24, 2020
Most of my review for the first book, Far-Seer, stands for this. In this case our hero is a Darwin analogue. And I have decided to seek out the third book in the trilogy. Fantastic 'What If' and 'Sense of Wonder' plus sufficiently interesting plots and stories.
"What else can there be, besides intellectual and physical prowess?"
"There's goodness. There's moral rectitude. There's doing the right thing when doing the wrong thing would be easier."
"What else can there be, besides intellectual and physical prowess?"
"There's goodness. There's moral rectitude. There's doing the right thing when doing the wrong thing would be easier."
July 11, 2020
This is the second book in Sawyer's first trilogy, which is known as The Quintaglio Ascension. Set on a dinosaur-dominated world (which makes the title ironically amusing), it's an entertaining and diverting novel examining religion and philosophy and scientific processes. It's one of his most richly developed worlds, and is also a thought-provoking story. This volume examines an analog of Darwin as the first one did for Galileo. Sawyer writes thinking people's sf.
December 26, 2014
Book 2 of the Quintaglio trilogy continues to impress. While we continue to follow the now-blinded astronomer, Afsan, we also are introduced to Toroca, one of Afsan's eight children. Unlike most of the Quintaglios, who are culled down to a single survivor from each clutch, all of Afsan's children survived into adulthood because of his position as 'the One'. But now, someone is doing the unthinkable, killing Afsan's children in cold blood, and Afsan has to figure out who could do such a thing. At the same time, he has to help the Emperor and his friend, Dybo, survive a challenge from one of his own siblings. While this is going on, Toroca leads an expedition to their moon's South Pole, where he discovers strange creatures. Through studying them, Toroca becomes his species' Darwin, finding that they are all descended from pteradactyls (or, as the Quintaglios call them, 'wingfingers'). And deep in the layers of shale, they discover an object made of an unbreakable blue glass that holds the secret of how the dinosaurs came to this world in the first place.
June 5, 2022
Fossil Hunter serves as an excellent second entry in Robert Sawyer's epic Quintaglio Ascension trilogy.
As in the preceding Far-Seer, the author combines an exciting story of scientific discovery with multiple dramatic plot lines that demonstrate great creativity. Familiar characters reappear alongside new protagonists, while this novel also introduces an interesting new narrative structure.
The conclusion of Fossil Hunter leaves a reader eager to learn how events unfold in the trilogy's finale, Foreigner.
As in the preceding Far-Seer, the author combines an exciting story of scientific discovery with multiple dramatic plot lines that demonstrate great creativity. Familiar characters reappear alongside new protagonists, while this novel also introduces an interesting new narrative structure.
The conclusion of Fossil Hunter leaves a reader eager to learn how events unfold in the trilogy's finale, Foreigner.
January 22, 2022
We start off with an idealised picture of the Quintaglio society after the dramatic turn of events at the end of the first book but the situation is soon at risk as the Emperor's right to rule is challenged and a murder mystery gets under way.
One of Afsan's sons largely takes up the role of naturalist in this book, leaving Afsan himself to act simultaneously as an advisor to his friend the Emperor and as the lead detective in the murder case.
We also finally learn about how the Quintaglios got to their moon through snippets called the "Watcher's musings". The next paragraph is slightly spoilery but not very, I'll briefly discuss the revealed motivation for the relocation which is given very early in this book and not the only thing we learn about the Watcher.
It turns out that a sort of ascended being searched the universe for life and on stumbling across earth ~65 mya, our intergalactic do-gooder decided to preserve lifeforms with proteins based on D-amino acids because the L-amino acid lifeforms were becoming dominant. This is great, but probably not the neatest explanation since dinos were most likely also of the L-amino acid variety. I'm not an expert or an author but.... I would have had Cretaceous Noah observe the trajectory of the catastrophic asteroid as the motivation to preserve dinosaurs.
There's a parallel drawn between the newly learned theory of evolution and the Quintaglios' own practice of selecting the strongest individual from each clutch which is in its simple way satisfying.
The course of events follows a largely predictable route and for the sake of telling the story great leaps of discovery are made by simple inference but on the whole this has been a fun adventure, with the final chapter (book 3) looking to be a grander adventure still for the Quintaglios.
One of Afsan's sons largely takes up the role of naturalist in this book, leaving Afsan himself to act simultaneously as an advisor to his friend the Emperor and as the lead detective in the murder case.
We also finally learn about how the Quintaglios got to their moon through snippets called the "Watcher's musings". The next paragraph is slightly spoilery but not very, I'll briefly discuss the revealed motivation for the relocation which is given very early in this book and not the only thing we learn about the Watcher.
It turns out that a sort of ascended being searched the universe for life and on stumbling across earth ~65 mya, our intergalactic do-gooder decided to preserve lifeforms with proteins based on D-amino acids because the L-amino acid lifeforms were becoming dominant. This is great, but probably not the neatest explanation since dinos were most likely also of the L-amino acid variety. I'm not an expert or an author but.... I would have had Cretaceous Noah observe the trajectory of the catastrophic asteroid as the motivation to preserve dinosaurs.
There's a parallel drawn between the newly learned theory of evolution and the Quintaglios' own practice of selecting the strongest individual from each clutch which is in its simple way satisfying.
The course of events follows a largely predictable route and for the sake of telling the story great leaps of discovery are made by simple inference but on the whole this has been a fun adventure, with the final chapter (book 3) looking to be a grander adventure still for the Quintaglios.
February 20, 2025
My reread of the Quintaglio Ascension trilogy continues! It's been 16 kilodays since the events of Far-Seer, and in addition to Afsan and Dybo from the first book, we also get some great new characters in Toroca and Babnol, and two mysterious ones I'll leave to others to discover. I will say that I forgot there was a murder mystery in this one, which is interesting given their inexperience with murder in this society.
Sawyer continues to do a great job of building out this world of dinosaurs, especially with the way he's designed their behavioral biology (their extreme territoriality means that even just ten Quintaglios standing vaguely together counts as a potentially unruly mob).
In both this and and the prior book, it's great fun seeing our scientist heroes puzzle out theories that will shape their understanding of their world and their species.
This was a book I read several times as a kid since it was in a cardboard box that my dad had, but of course, the first and third books in the trilogy was missing (funnily enough, Sawyer gives any necessary backstory in Fossil Hunter, so it worked out).
Sawyer continues to do a great job of building out this world of dinosaurs, especially with the way he's designed their behavioral biology (their extreme territoriality means that even just ten Quintaglios standing vaguely together counts as a potentially unruly mob).
In both this and and the prior book, it's great fun seeing our scientist heroes puzzle out theories that will shape their understanding of their world and their species.
This was a book I read several times as a kid since it was in a cardboard box that my dad had, but of course, the first and third books in the trilogy was missing (funnily enough, Sawyer gives any necessary backstory in Fossil Hunter, so it worked out).
June 25, 2018
Talking dinosaur sci-fi reaches its ceiling, which "eh, ok."
Something that annoys me about this series, and about lots of "hard" sci-fi, is the recurring plot of showing characters discover general scientific principles or phenomena that are known to the reader. Instead of feeling suspense or mystery or curiosity, the reader spends the whole book congratulating themselves on being clever enough to know about science to see where this is all going. The author seems to exist entirely as a fabricator of experiences that affirm the reader’s sophistication without presenting challenges or interrogations. So the talking dinosaurs discover orbital mechanics lite and evolution, and the reader discovers... nothing.
And then, of course, the reader uses this counterfeit sense of sophistication and penetrating intellect to condenscend to the readers of pretty much anything else. "I only read hard sci-fi" is the exclusive refrain of assholes. Put them out the airlock.
But anyway, dinosaurs. They’re fine.
Something that annoys me about this series, and about lots of "hard" sci-fi, is the recurring plot of showing characters discover general scientific principles or phenomena that are known to the reader. Instead of feeling suspense or mystery or curiosity, the reader spends the whole book congratulating themselves on being clever enough to know about science to see where this is all going. The author seems to exist entirely as a fabricator of experiences that affirm the reader’s sophistication without presenting challenges or interrogations. So the talking dinosaurs discover orbital mechanics lite and evolution, and the reader discovers... nothing.
And then, of course, the reader uses this counterfeit sense of sophistication and penetrating intellect to condenscend to the readers of pretty much anything else. "I only read hard sci-fi" is the exclusive refrain of assholes. Put them out the airlock.
But anyway, dinosaurs. They’re fine.
January 31, 2020
I really enjoy Rob Sawyer, but truth be told I've avoided this trilogy as it sounded so bizarre and I was worried it might sully my admiration of him. I was happily wrong. While at times almost reminiscent of trippy Heinlein like 50s/60s scifi, with a dash of Arthur C. Clarke, this trilogy about sentient dinosaurs (e.g. raptors) making scientific discoveries on their home world is engaging and, like all Sawyer's books, eminently readable, plot-driven, and scientifically accurate. Without giving away too much, the first one features a Galileo-like character, the second a Darwin-like character, and the third (and less successful in my opinion) a Freud-like character. The structure allows Sawyer to explore how fundamental scientific discoveries unfold, and the societal consequences. A lot of fun.
August 9, 2015
Another fairly early Sawyer that is a moderate read. This book is more about world building. It has great characters (some common from the first book) but seems to be missing the excitement and drive of the first one. It is mainly the story of Darwin told in an unique way. Will read the last in the series but am hoping for more compelling book.
April 17, 2011
this one loses a point for the bizarre God-like narrator chapters. but the protagonist (DINOSAUR DARWIN, with added loneliness issues -- everyone thinks he's kind of creepy because he doesn't fly into a homicidal rage at the touch of another) is the. best.
August 12, 2019
Finally these books intersect with our own reality as Earthlings. Panspermia is real, just not in the way you think.
Great premise, great writing, interesting storylines. Can't wait to read the next in the series. Bravo, Robert J. Sawyer.
Great premise, great writing, interesting storylines. Can't wait to read the next in the series. Bravo, Robert J. Sawyer.
April 17, 2018
Speedy pass through science that took mankind centuries
February 4, 2020
Fossil Hunter is a satisfying science fiction tale that is part-fantasy, and part-allegory for our own human characteristics. This is Sawyer's second book in the Quintaglio Trilogy, and like the first, Sawyer creates a fantasy world that somehow sparks moments of humanity inside a Dinosaur society. Just as Afsan suffered the loss of his sight because of his intellectual curiosity, in Fossil Hunter, it appears that an old savant's work is never done; Afsan is forced to advise an illegitimate puppet-king facing a violent coup, he loses his own children one-by-one in mysterious circumstances, and each day that goes by is another day he simply survives, while he hopes for his son Toraca and his wife Novato to somehow, someway, find a way off their endangered moon.
Fans of hard science fiction will find the book delves into more sheer fantasy than had ever occurred in Far-Seer. For starters, Fossil Hunter is replete with a colosseum-style stadium and a battle to the death with a humongous, ever-hungry blackdeath reptile. The Quintaglio's religion plays more center stage, and the order of the bloodpriests are shaken up as characters begin to take up hereditary traits and the theory of evolution. Like Far-Seer, the book is loaded with long scientific journeys, in this case two - to find the fossil origins of their species and to study life in the treacherous South Pole.
Fossil Hunter is also a blend of romantic relationships and more endearing friendships. I was shocked with the hesitance Babnol and Toraca had in their new relationship - as clear as their attraction to each other may appear, Sawyer lets it steam throughout this story, which was very well-done. I also saw Toraca's dry, textbook explanations of the theory of evolution fall flat, even offend Babnol, and found his romantic retort, "You're not a freak, you're special" (p. 215) when it's clear he struck a nerve discussing her deformed head-horn. Few, if any, other fiction writers would have been bothered to go in that direction, and in moments like these, the story becomes less hard-sci fi and simply more storylike.
I certainly enjoyed many of the themes Sawyer put into this tale, and will read the third. However, for a book that I had already committed myself to reading, this book was a slow, hard slog at times. In particular, and I know I'm not alone, the stories of the Watcher are completely out-of-place and distant. Take this reading, "Wrapping around the rear of the torso was a horizontally held U-shaped brace from which six legs--three on each side--angled forward. Only the front pair of legs normally touched the ground. …" (p. 39) and multiply it at least ten. That is how many times I found myself glossing over the Watcher's supposed design and world-building plans. And sad to say, that for a book that somehow creates its own Deity, no attempt is ever made to explain what makes him tick. Disappointing.
I give it 3 stars because it is not the most readable, thrilling story of my life, but it continued a unique Quintaglio story that I like.
Fans of hard science fiction will find the book delves into more sheer fantasy than had ever occurred in Far-Seer. For starters, Fossil Hunter is replete with a colosseum-style stadium and a battle to the death with a humongous, ever-hungry blackdeath reptile. The Quintaglio's religion plays more center stage, and the order of the bloodpriests are shaken up as characters begin to take up hereditary traits and the theory of evolution. Like Far-Seer, the book is loaded with long scientific journeys, in this case two - to find the fossil origins of their species and to study life in the treacherous South Pole.
Fossil Hunter is also a blend of romantic relationships and more endearing friendships. I was shocked with the hesitance Babnol and Toraca had in their new relationship - as clear as their attraction to each other may appear, Sawyer lets it steam throughout this story, which was very well-done. I also saw Toraca's dry, textbook explanations of the theory of evolution fall flat, even offend Babnol, and found his romantic retort, "You're not a freak, you're special" (p. 215) when it's clear he struck a nerve discussing her deformed head-horn. Few, if any, other fiction writers would have been bothered to go in that direction, and in moments like these, the story becomes less hard-sci fi and simply more storylike.
I certainly enjoyed many of the themes Sawyer put into this tale, and will read the third. However, for a book that I had already committed myself to reading, this book was a slow, hard slog at times. In particular, and I know I'm not alone, the stories of the Watcher are completely out-of-place and distant. Take this reading, "Wrapping around the rear of the torso was a horizontally held U-shaped brace from which six legs--three on each side--angled forward. Only the front pair of legs normally touched the ground. …" (p. 39) and multiply it at least ten. That is how many times I found myself glossing over the Watcher's supposed design and world-building plans. And sad to say, that for a book that somehow creates its own Deity, no attempt is ever made to explain what makes him tick. Disappointing.
I give it 3 stars because it is not the most readable, thrilling story of my life, but it continued a unique Quintaglio story that I like.
September 17, 2025
Fossil Hunter is a fun follow-up to Far-Seer, expanding on the world further and dealing with both the repercussions of Afsan's startling discovery about their doomed planet and the new discoveries being made for the exodus. As before, Sawyer's worldbuilding is just impeccable and he never seems to forget the rules he's established for this highly territorial society of carnivorous dinosaurs, nor does he waiver from the moral structure that makes sense within this world. There are many elements that would be shocking within a human framework, but we don't ever move beyond the Quintaglio perspective and stay solidly grounded inside the world Sawyer has created for us.
I do have some thoughts about some of the themes of this book- like the fact that we're approaching topics like ancient aliens, a cosmic intelligence, and also seeing our main characters reckon with what is essentially eugenics (though the latter is something that's already been happening within their society through a very violent selective ritual). The presence of aliens and a non-corporeal intelligence that had a hand in Quintaglios becoming established on their world doesn't feel out of bounds for a sci fi story, but it does feel a little at odds with a series where so far it's very much been about finding out there probably isn't a creator as viewed by their religion. Obviously, the introduction of the alien space craft gives the Quintaglios an incredible jumpstart for their future exodus, but it does give me pause.
Overall I did really like it though. We get to see Afsan's adult children, the implications of what it means for a Quintaglio to know who their siblings and parents are, and the way a theory of evolution is developed. There's also some interesting political stuff as the monarchy structure is challenged in a pretty dramatic way. There's lots of adventure and tension that keeps this a genuine page-turner.
I do have some thoughts about some of the themes of this book- like the fact that we're approaching topics like ancient aliens, a cosmic intelligence, and also seeing our main characters reckon with what is essentially eugenics (though the latter is something that's already been happening within their society through a very violent selective ritual). The presence of aliens and a non-corporeal intelligence that had a hand in Quintaglios becoming established on their world doesn't feel out of bounds for a sci fi story, but it does feel a little at odds with a series where so far it's very much been about finding out there probably isn't a creator as viewed by their religion. Obviously, the introduction of the alien space craft gives the Quintaglios an incredible jumpstart for their future exodus, but it does give me pause.
Overall I did really like it though. We get to see Afsan's adult children, the implications of what it means for a Quintaglio to know who their siblings and parents are, and the way a theory of evolution is developed. There's also some interesting political stuff as the monarchy structure is challenged in a pretty dramatic way. There's lots of adventure and tension that keeps this a genuine page-turner.
April 26, 2019
Mi era piaciuto parecchio il primo romanzo, questo secondo, nonostante sia più corale (o forse proprio per questo) mi piace anche di più. Tutta la parte dove i Quintaglio affrontano e modificano il proprio pensiero affontando e superando i propri tabù culturali è buona, così come la parte dove Toroca, novello Darwin, scopre l'evoluzione nonostante su quel mondo ci siano le prove di una creazione.
La parte più debole è forse la risoluzione del mistero di come i Quintaglio siano giunti sul loro mondo. Questa intelligenza sopravvissuta al precedente ciclo di espansione e contrazione dell'universo (uno dei temi che Sawyer ripropone altre volte nei suoi romanzi) è qualcosa di abbastanza forzato, avrei preferito un deus-ex-machina diverso.
Invece, da vecchio lettore di La vita meravigliosa: I fossili di Burgess e la natura della storia gioisco sempre quanto si torna all'esplosione cambriana, e la presenza di Opabinia. Anche questo è uno dei temi ricorrenti dei suoi romanzi, e giustamente non perde occasione di citare gli animali delle formazioni rocciose di Burgess.
Certo, la visione dei dinosauri che aveva a inizi anni '90, quando scrisse la trilogia di cui questo è il secondo romanzo, è mutata parecchio ed è decisamente non più attuale, come non più attuale è la trattazione della materia oscura. Ma sono piccole pecche in un lavoro tutto sommato più che buono.
4 stelle e un pezzetto.
La parte più debole è forse la risoluzione del mistero di come i Quintaglio siano giunti sul loro mondo. Questa intelligenza sopravvissuta al precedente ciclo di espansione e contrazione dell'universo (uno dei temi che Sawyer ripropone altre volte nei suoi romanzi) è qualcosa di abbastanza forzato, avrei preferito un deus-ex-machina diverso.
Invece, da vecchio lettore di La vita meravigliosa: I fossili di Burgess e la natura della storia gioisco sempre quanto si torna all'esplosione cambriana, e la presenza di Opabinia. Anche questo è uno dei temi ricorrenti dei suoi romanzi, e giustamente non perde occasione di citare gli animali delle formazioni rocciose di Burgess.
Certo, la visione dei dinosauri che aveva a inizi anni '90, quando scrisse la trilogia di cui questo è il secondo romanzo, è mutata parecchio ed è decisamente non più attuale, come non più attuale è la trattazione della materia oscura. Ma sono piccole pecche in un lavoro tutto sommato più che buono.
4 stelle e un pezzetto.
May 9, 2021
Giustificare la mia valutazione da 5/5 a questo libro non è semplice, ma penso che sotto molti punti di vista l'autore sia riuscito a creare un elaborato di pregevole fattura.
Progetto Quintaglio non è un capolavoro della letteratura, tanto meno della fantascienza, ma è riuscito a fare quello che non aveva fatto il precedente libro, primo della trilogia Quintaglio Ascension. Robert J. Sawyer riesce a risolvere tutti i problemi e i troppi dubbi lasciati in sospeso dal precedente capitolo e lo fa con grande maestia.
I personaggi creati, compreso l'osservatore, son ben delineati, ognuno con le proprie sfaccettature e peculiarità. L'unico personaggio che forse perde, e di parecchio, caratura è il protagonista del primo libro, Afsan, che qui si trasforma in un fin troppo saccente tuttologo.
Ho apprezzato molto lo stile deciso dall'autore che ti porta a "rimbalzare" fra un personaggio e l'altro. Questo stile non è per nulla pesante ed è stato ben gestito.
Trovo infine ben elaborato il concetto di territorialità che fa da base per tutto il libro. Se il concetto era stato appena accennato e mal utilizzato nel primo libro della trilogia, qui assume un ruolo fondamentale.
L'unica grossa pecca del libro, che ho trovato altamente fastidiosa, è colpa dell'editore. Sulla quarta di copertina viene spiegato cosa succede a tre quarti del libro. Senza quegli spoiler la lettura sarebbe stata molto più appagante.
Progetto Quintaglio non è un capolavoro della letteratura, tanto meno della fantascienza, ma è riuscito a fare quello che non aveva fatto il precedente libro, primo della trilogia Quintaglio Ascension. Robert J. Sawyer riesce a risolvere tutti i problemi e i troppi dubbi lasciati in sospeso dal precedente capitolo e lo fa con grande maestia.
I personaggi creati, compreso l'osservatore, son ben delineati, ognuno con le proprie sfaccettature e peculiarità. L'unico personaggio che forse perde, e di parecchio, caratura è il protagonista del primo libro, Afsan, che qui si trasforma in un fin troppo saccente tuttologo.
Ho apprezzato molto lo stile deciso dall'autore che ti porta a "rimbalzare" fra un personaggio e l'altro. Questo stile non è per nulla pesante ed è stato ben gestito.
Trovo infine ben elaborato il concetto di territorialità che fa da base per tutto il libro. Se il concetto era stato appena accennato e mal utilizzato nel primo libro della trilogia, qui assume un ruolo fondamentale.
L'unica grossa pecca del libro, che ho trovato altamente fastidiosa, è colpa dell'editore. Sulla quarta di copertina viene spiegato cosa succede a tre quarti del libro. Senza quegli spoiler la lettura sarebbe stata molto più appagante.
June 15, 2025
After adoring Far-Seer, I was so excited to get into the sequel that I immediately bought the next (used) copy I found. After the dino civilisation underwent a Copernican revolution in the first book, now they get to be rocked by such endeavours as geology, antarctic expedition, and...a crisis of succession as the young emperor's grasp on power slips. The different threads take a long time to weave together, but by the last act I was fully on board and having a great time again. My main issue was with
- SPOILERS -
the whole panspermia "guided by uncanny cosmic intellect" origin story for the Quintaglio's world. We're drip-fed little chapters from the beginning, and it really took me out of it. Why couldn't the reader have made the discoveries alongside the characters? Why spoil the mysteries before they're even encountered in the main plot? Not that the panspermia thing is a total dealbreaker, but it's presented in a way that made me wonder if Sawyer's editor had to fight him on it. Bizarre and disappointing choice.
All that said, I still really enjoyed the rest of the book, and of course will be finishing the trilogy at the earliest opportunity. Like I said in my review of Far-Seer, I'm very easy to pander to.
- SPOILERS -
the whole panspermia "guided by uncanny cosmic intellect" origin story for the Quintaglio's world. We're drip-fed little chapters from the beginning, and it really took me out of it. Why couldn't the reader have made the discoveries alongside the characters? Why spoil the mysteries before they're even encountered in the main plot? Not that the panspermia thing is a total dealbreaker, but it's presented in a way that made me wonder if Sawyer's editor had to fight him on it. Bizarre and disappointing choice.
All that said, I still really enjoyed the rest of the book, and of course will be finishing the trilogy at the earliest opportunity. Like I said in my review of Far-Seer, I'm very easy to pander to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2023
Set some time after the events of the first book, ‘Fossil Hunter’ follows the further adventures of Afsan, the Quintaglio equivalent of Galileo, and his son Toroca, who turns out to be a dinosaurian Darwin.
Afsan’s discoveries about the nature of their world have been largely accepted, and a project to get the species off their doomed moon is underway. Toroca, part of a geological survey team aiding in the project’s efforts, develops the theory of evolution during a trip to the south pole. Meanwhile, back in Capital City, Afsan must try to find a murderer who is targeting his children, plus deal with a challenge to Emperor Dybo’s leadership that could imperil the exodus project.
The Quintaglios’ stories are interspersed with musings of The Watcher, the powerful alien entity that originally transplanted dinosaurs from Earth to their current home, which provides some interesting back-story.
This is a fascinating and highly entertaining book, every bit as good as the first in the series.
Afsan’s discoveries about the nature of their world have been largely accepted, and a project to get the species off their doomed moon is underway. Toroca, part of a geological survey team aiding in the project’s efforts, develops the theory of evolution during a trip to the south pole. Meanwhile, back in Capital City, Afsan must try to find a murderer who is targeting his children, plus deal with a challenge to Emperor Dybo’s leadership that could imperil the exodus project.
The Quintaglios’ stories are interspersed with musings of The Watcher, the powerful alien entity that originally transplanted dinosaurs from Earth to their current home, which provides some interesting back-story.
This is a fascinating and highly entertaining book, every bit as good as the first in the series.
September 30, 2017
Fossil Hunter is definitely a step up from Sawyer's sophomore effort, Far-Seer, which makes it 3.5 stars instead of 3.
The biggest plus seems to be that he's moved a bit away from the mirroring-our-Age-of-Enlightment-with-dinosaurs idea. Oh, we've still got a Darwin, and he figures out evolution with the help of birds on a distant (Antarctic) island, but it feels like a smaller part of the narrative. Meanwhile, Sawyer also provides a really intriguing basis for why he's doing this whole other-enlightenment thing.
The other evolution of this book past the last one is that it multithreads several plots rather than sticking to a single idea.
With that said, I still don't feel that close to the characters, I still find the tension low, and I still find the plot pretty obvious. And I continue to see intriguing ideas that he reexamined to better effect in his Neanderthal books.
The biggest plus seems to be that he's moved a bit away from the mirroring-our-Age-of-Enlightment-with-dinosaurs idea. Oh, we've still got a Darwin, and he figures out evolution with the help of birds on a distant (Antarctic) island, but it feels like a smaller part of the narrative. Meanwhile, Sawyer also provides a really intriguing basis for why he's doing this whole other-enlightenment thing.
The other evolution of this book past the last one is that it multithreads several plots rather than sticking to a single idea.
With that said, I still don't feel that close to the characters, I still find the tension low, and I still find the plot pretty obvious. And I continue to see intriguing ideas that he reexamined to better effect in his Neanderthal books.
January 26, 2020
Secondo romanzo della trilogia "Quintaglio Ascension", una delle prime opere di Sawyer arrivata solo ora in Italia. Nel primo romanzo veniva presentata la versione "dinosaura" di Galileo, mentre in questo dovrebbe esserci quella di Darwin. Dico "dovrebbe" perché il parallelo è molto meno evidente rispetto al primo romanzo. Il romanzo appare molto interlocutorio, in vista del terzo e conclusivo, e ci sono varie trame che si intrecciano, alcune poco convincenti, e quella del "Darwin" è solo una di esse. La meno convincente in assoluto (e che se fossi stato Sawyer avrei evitato) è quella delle "Riflessioni dell'Osservatore": un improbabile spiegone distribuito per tutto il romanzo che ci racconta come e perché nella notte dei tempi i dinosauri sono finiti sul pianeta Quintaglio.
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Il titolo scelto per l'edizione italiana ha a che fare solo marginalmente col contenuto (il titolo originale è "Fossil Hunter", cacciatore di fossili).
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Il titolo scelto per l'edizione italiana ha a che fare solo marginalmente col contenuto (il titolo originale è "Fossil Hunter", cacciatore di fossili).
November 3, 2025
Amazing. Incredible expansion to the lore. Dinosaurs discovering evolution, political challenges, even a murder mystery. Also, the most insane lore drop I've heard: a strange cosmic being survived the death of the previous universe, entering this one and making a body out of dark matter, seeking to foster sapient life. It manipulated gravity to place any group of animals at threat of extinction on other planets. It did this to Opabinia, which later became sapient space farers who then placed dinosaurs on the moon of a gas giant in another system. These became the dinosaurs of the series. Quintaglios are derived from Nanotyrannus. Also, the dark matter god thing is what killed the Dinosaurs, allowing mammals to rise. Insane. This is all delivered in such an awesome and natural way, the revelations are fascinating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2024
"And yet it moves"
Galileo
A surprisingly entertaining alternate history mixed with a recap of the greatest hits of natural science.
A selection of dinasours are taken from pre historic earth, by an godlike alien and placed on a moon evolving on a large gas planet, this to avoid a future conflict between two potential sentiment races on earth.
When our story starts, a Velociraptor-like dinosaurus is the dominant species, having reached a mideval stage of technology, but also living under a strict superstitious religious government.
There's some impressive, well considered, descriptions of a society of carnivores, but it's the use of natural science as a driving force in the history that makes this special.
Galileo
A surprisingly entertaining alternate history mixed with a recap of the greatest hits of natural science.
A selection of dinasours are taken from pre historic earth, by an godlike alien and placed on a moon evolving on a large gas planet, this to avoid a future conflict between two potential sentiment races on earth.
When our story starts, a Velociraptor-like dinosaurus is the dominant species, having reached a mideval stage of technology, but also living under a strict superstitious religious government.
There's some impressive, well considered, descriptions of a society of carnivores, but it's the use of natural science as a driving force in the history that makes this special.
April 17, 2022
The second of the Quintaglio series that began with FAR-SEER. In the first book, the Quintaglio (a dwarf tyrannosaur species called Nanotyrannus) discover astronomy and the predicted fate of their world. In this sequel, they discover geology and develop a theory of evolution that help them to reassess their beliefs about their origins.
As in the first book, there is a lot of adventure and this time even a murder mystery. FOSSIL HUNTER is a worthy successor to FAR-SEER and I am once again looking forward to the next installment, FOREIGNER.
As in the first book, there is a lot of adventure and this time even a murder mystery. FOSSIL HUNTER is a worthy successor to FAR-SEER and I am once again looking forward to the next installment, FOREIGNER.
March 26, 2018
A good story. I think maybe Quintaglios make some very brilliant insights, first Galileo, now Darwin. The Dasheter could have been named the Beagle! But hey Sawyer knows of those revolutionaries, so we can take the hundreds of years (or kilodays) of scientific revolution compressed into a generation as mostly allegory.
Recommended series with _Far-seer_ and _Foreigner_, but read Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy first.
Recommended series with _Far-seer_ and _Foreigner_, but read Sawyer's Neanderthal Parallax trilogy first.
September 21, 2022
This is Far-Seer: the Next Generation. While many of the inhabitants of Land have accepted the necessity of the Exodus, others have not. In any case, there is much to do.
Afsan, the Quintaglio Galileo, is now an advisor to the Emperor. His mate is the Wright Brothers. One of his sons is set to become Darwin. Other children take a darker path.
A challenge to the Imperium threatens the Exodus.
Then there's the alien spaceship...
Afsan, the Quintaglio Galileo, is now an advisor to the Emperor. His mate is the Wright Brothers. One of his sons is set to become Darwin. Other children take a darker path.
A challenge to the Imperium threatens the Exodus.
Then there's the alien spaceship...
June 15, 2017
I turn to Sawyer because I want a mind-bending experience, well – this is certainly that!
I liked Book 1 better, I was not interested in half the story lines in Book 2, but I’m still in for Book 3.
Not much of a review, but I’d have to untangled my pretzeled brain in order to write something coherent and I’m still trying to picture what a sentient dinosaur’s apartment looks like! Ha!
I liked Book 1 better, I was not interested in half the story lines in Book 2, but I’m still in for Book 3.
Not much of a review, but I’d have to untangled my pretzeled brain in order to write something coherent and I’m still trying to picture what a sentient dinosaur’s apartment looks like! Ha!
September 25, 2022
This was a good follow-up to the first book in this trilogy. You have to read the first one to enjoy this one as much, but Sawyer does a good job showing the events of Turoka, Afsan's son, discovering more about the earliest life on their planet/moon, and also how Daibo faces challenges to his rule as emperor. Strong control overall of character/plot.
October 7, 2023
Book two does not let down at all. The same wonderful character and more are here with a few plot lines flowing in the story. Sawyer does a great job with the characters, giving then depth and they really come alive in this story. Subtle humor and fantastic plot developments drive this story and I found myself rooting for these strange dinosaur creatures.
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