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Deep Past: A Novel
“A fascinating thriller… Linden does a masterly job of integrating intriguing speculative science into a page-turning plot.” —Publisher's Weekly, starred review
If nature could invent intelligence of our scale in a blink of geologic time, who’s to say it hasn’t been done before…
A routine dig in Kazakhstan takes a radical turn for thirty-two-year-old anthropologist Claire Knowland when a stranger turns up at the site with a bizarre find from a remote section of the desolate Kazakh Steppe. Her initial skepticism of this mysterious discovery gives way to a realization that the find will shake the very foundations of our understanding of evolution and intelligence.
Corrupt politics of Kazakhstan force Claire to take reckless chances with the discovery. Among the allies she gathers in her fight to save herself and bring the discovery to light is Sergei Anachev, a brilliant but enigmatic Russian geologist who becomes her unlikely protector even as he deals with his own unknown crisis.
Ultimately, Claire finds herself fighting not just for the discovery and her academic reputation, but for her very life as great power conflict engulfs the unstable region and an unscrupulous oligarch attempts to take advantage of the chaos.
Drawing on Eugene Linden’s celebrated non-fiction investigations into what makes humans different from other species, this international thriller mixes fact and the fantastical, the realities of academic politics, and high stakes geopolitics—engaging the reader every step of the way.
If nature could invent intelligence of our scale in a blink of geologic time, who’s to say it hasn’t been done before…
A routine dig in Kazakhstan takes a radical turn for thirty-two-year-old anthropologist Claire Knowland when a stranger turns up at the site with a bizarre find from a remote section of the desolate Kazakh Steppe. Her initial skepticism of this mysterious discovery gives way to a realization that the find will shake the very foundations of our understanding of evolution and intelligence.
Corrupt politics of Kazakhstan force Claire to take reckless chances with the discovery. Among the allies she gathers in her fight to save herself and bring the discovery to light is Sergei Anachev, a brilliant but enigmatic Russian geologist who becomes her unlikely protector even as he deals with his own unknown crisis.
Ultimately, Claire finds herself fighting not just for the discovery and her academic reputation, but for her very life as great power conflict engulfs the unstable region and an unscrupulous oligarch attempts to take advantage of the chaos.
Drawing on Eugene Linden’s celebrated non-fiction investigations into what makes humans different from other species, this international thriller mixes fact and the fantastical, the realities of academic politics, and high stakes geopolitics—engaging the reader every step of the way.
Kindle Edition
First published May 14, 2019
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About the author
Eugene Linden
30 books119 followersI've spent my entire writing career exploring various aspects of one question: Why is it that after hundreds of thousands of years one relatively small subset of our species has reached a point where its fears, appetites, and spending habits control the destiny of every culture, every major ecosystem, and virtually every creature on earth? What happened that enabled us to seize control in a blink of an eye?
I began scratching at this question in my first book, Apes, Men and Language, published over 40 years ago. In that book I explored the implications of some experiments from the 1960s that showed that chimpanzees could use sign language in ways similar to the way we use words - to express opinions and feelings, to make specific requests, and to comment on the events of their day. Since the moral basis of our rights to use nature as so much raw material is deeply entangled with the belief that we are the lone sentient beings on the planet, I wondered what it would mean if it turned out that other animals possessed higher mental abilities and consciousness? I never expected that the scientific establishment and society would say "oops, sorry," but I also never imagined that the issue would turn out to be as fraught and contentious as it has.
That first book was the result of a curious turn of events. My first major journalistic assignment was an investigation of fragging (attacks by enlisted men on their officers) in Vietnam. That article, "The Demoralization of an Army: Fragging and Other Withdrawal Symptoms," was published as a cover story in Saturday Review in 1971. It got a good deal of attention, and a few publishers contacted me about possibly writing a book. I was eager to do that, but a few publishers lost interest when they learned that I wanted to write about experiments teaching sign language to apes and not Vietnam. Dutton gamely stayed on, however, and "Apes" is still in print in some parts of the world.
Since that first book, I've revisited and explored animal thinking in several books and many articles. In Silent Partners: The Legacy of the Ape Language Experiments, I looked at what happened to the animals themselves in the aftermath of the experiments as the chimps were whipsawed by a society that shifted back and forth between treating them as personalities and commodities. I wrote articles for National Geographic, TIME, and Parade, among other publications about animal intelligence as the debate progressed at its glacial pace.
Then, in the 1990s, I had an epiphany of sorts. I'd heard a story about an orangutan that got hold of a piece of wire and used it to pick the lock on his cage, all the while hiding his efforts from the zookeepers. Here seemed to be a panoply of higher mental abilities on display, unprompted by any rewards from humans, and it occurred to me that, if animals could think, maybe they did their best thinking when it served their purposes, and not some human in a lab coat. Out of this flash came two more books, The Parrot's Lament: Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence and Ingenuity, and, The Octopus and the Orangutan: More Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity, as well as a few more articles for TIME, Parade, and Oprah among other publications. I've found this approach to thinking about animal intelligence both liberating and fun, and I intend to explore this a good deal more.
The question of what makes us different than other creatures was but one aspect of my career-long efforts to understand how we have come to rule the planet. At the same time that I was exploring the question of higher mental abilities in animals I also began to think about how our notions our notions of our own specialness related to the consumer society. If intelligence, language and consciousness gave us dominion, it was the consumer society that gave us the tools to exploit nature for our own benefit. I've developed my thoughts on the nature and origins of consumer societies in four b
I began scratching at this question in my first book, Apes, Men and Language, published over 40 years ago. In that book I explored the implications of some experiments from the 1960s that showed that chimpanzees could use sign language in ways similar to the way we use words - to express opinions and feelings, to make specific requests, and to comment on the events of their day. Since the moral basis of our rights to use nature as so much raw material is deeply entangled with the belief that we are the lone sentient beings on the planet, I wondered what it would mean if it turned out that other animals possessed higher mental abilities and consciousness? I never expected that the scientific establishment and society would say "oops, sorry," but I also never imagined that the issue would turn out to be as fraught and contentious as it has.
That first book was the result of a curious turn of events. My first major journalistic assignment was an investigation of fragging (attacks by enlisted men on their officers) in Vietnam. That article, "The Demoralization of an Army: Fragging and Other Withdrawal Symptoms," was published as a cover story in Saturday Review in 1971. It got a good deal of attention, and a few publishers contacted me about possibly writing a book. I was eager to do that, but a few publishers lost interest when they learned that I wanted to write about experiments teaching sign language to apes and not Vietnam. Dutton gamely stayed on, however, and "Apes" is still in print in some parts of the world.
Since that first book, I've revisited and explored animal thinking in several books and many articles. In Silent Partners: The Legacy of the Ape Language Experiments, I looked at what happened to the animals themselves in the aftermath of the experiments as the chimps were whipsawed by a society that shifted back and forth between treating them as personalities and commodities. I wrote articles for National Geographic, TIME, and Parade, among other publications about animal intelligence as the debate progressed at its glacial pace.
Then, in the 1990s, I had an epiphany of sorts. I'd heard a story about an orangutan that got hold of a piece of wire and used it to pick the lock on his cage, all the while hiding his efforts from the zookeepers. Here seemed to be a panoply of higher mental abilities on display, unprompted by any rewards from humans, and it occurred to me that, if animals could think, maybe they did their best thinking when it served their purposes, and not some human in a lab coat. Out of this flash came two more books, The Parrot's Lament: Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence and Ingenuity, and, The Octopus and the Orangutan: More Tales of Animal Intrigue, Intelligence, and Ingenuity, as well as a few more articles for TIME, Parade, and Oprah among other publications. I've found this approach to thinking about animal intelligence both liberating and fun, and I intend to explore this a good deal more.
The question of what makes us different than other creatures was but one aspect of my career-long efforts to understand how we have come to rule the planet. At the same time that I was exploring the question of higher mental abilities in animals I also began to think about how our notions our notions of our own specialness related to the consumer society. If intelligence, language and consciousness gave us dominion, it was the consumer society that gave us the tools to exploit nature for our own benefit. I've developed my thoughts on the nature and origins of consumer societies in four b
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
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May 3, 2019Very disappointed in this book. I was hoping to win it (Goodreads giveaway) and I did. I was thrilled to get it! But...
I thought it to be a kind of science/thriller against a backdrop of paleontology, and based on some of the ideas Mr. Linden has proposed elsewhere. (That perhaps, in our Earth's long history, there have been other highly-intelligent species, but which have come and gone.) But it reads more like a political/spy thriller with pages which go on endlessly about corrupt officials and coverups and funding removed from research and on and on...
Also, there is an array of bones which is found early on, but what? What KIND of array? What does it look like? And how do you know the bones are from a -- species? I wanted more science! More description and speculation! More thriller-ish stuff and it's just not there.
It's empty, dull and I skimmed through the first 100 pages looking for more science, geology, bones and how did you figure out from one look that these were --- bones? (Oh, I already said that.) The science which is there is so skimpy as to be nonexistent, and no, I'm not 'waiting' until page 266 or something for the science to 'kick in.' I'm patient but not that patient.
Hence, no rating; I only read (and partly skimmed) to page 100.
So disappointed.
I thought it to be a kind of science/thriller against a backdrop of paleontology, and based on some of the ideas Mr. Linden has proposed elsewhere. (That perhaps, in our Earth's long history, there have been other highly-intelligent species, but which have come and gone.) But it reads more like a political/spy thriller with pages which go on endlessly about corrupt officials and coverups and funding removed from research and on and on...
Also, there is an array of bones which is found early on, but what? What KIND of array? What does it look like? And how do you know the bones are from a -- species? I wanted more science! More description and speculation! More thriller-ish stuff and it's just not there.
It's empty, dull and I skimmed through the first 100 pages looking for more science, geology, bones and how did you figure out from one look that these were --- bones? (Oh, I already said that.) The science which is there is so skimpy as to be nonexistent, and no, I'm not 'waiting' until page 266 or something for the science to 'kick in.' I'm patient but not that patient.
Hence, no rating; I only read (and partly skimmed) to page 100.
So disappointed.
June 21, 2019
The plot and science were pretty cool but this guy does not know how to write female characters.
August 25, 2019
I very much like hard syfy speculative fiction. There are lots of good ideas here, like, "Over tens of millions of years, a lot of things can come and go and leave no trace." And I loved this: "-when you push the boundaries of conventional wisdom in any scientific field, you'd better be bulletproof." Or this: "...for all the pointless hurt of life and the knowledge that the brief flirtations with infinity that we grasped for when we were young can never be recaptured." Discussions of brain size changing with climate change were fascinating. But things screech to a halt when brilliant scientist Claire gets all excited when gorgeous muscular Sergei suggest champagne with dinner and Claire says, "Go for it!" This is a big book with big ideas, but Claire is most excited - not by 5.5 million-year-old elephant bones found where there should never have been elephants - but by Sergei and his mere suggestion of champagne. Hey, I like champagne too, but I'd really rather have a great hard syfy thriller to read. Can someone recommend one to me - cause this ain't it. But I do think I'll check out this author's non-fiction work. Oh, and the idea that cats domesticated people. No, I don't believe that 100%. I do believe, though, that maybe kitty cats domesticated republicans around 1980. (No insult intended at cats.)
June 9, 2019
2 1/2 stars. Here’s my brief take on this book:
Some of this was so interesting and I enjoyed learning a bit about some subjects I don’t know anything about. I liked the liberties the author took with a few real scientific discoveries.
However, I love dialogue and felt it was really was weak in this book.
Also, didn’t care for the main character whatsoever. She felt like a caricature of a woman, maybe a bad stereotype of what a smart woman is. Here is a lady who was at the top of her class in school, has many degrees, rising to the pinnacle of her career. And yet we see her crying in front of coworkers, dancing weirdly in front of colleagues, and speaking almost entirely in American figures of speech, when, due to the nature of her job, she’s often working with people from other countries, who have no idea what she’s talking about. But when she’s around other Americans, she doesn’t do this. And for some reason, the author thinks that when women get together (even professional peers), they take off their clothes, drink, dance, and talk about boys. Yes, that really happened, and in a professional setting, no less.
It seemed like an unintentional message of this story was, “yes there are smart woman, BUT they are girls, and therefore still kinda dumb.” I’m still shaking my head at this one.
Some of this was so interesting and I enjoyed learning a bit about some subjects I don’t know anything about. I liked the liberties the author took with a few real scientific discoveries.
However, I love dialogue and felt it was really was weak in this book.
Also, didn’t care for the main character whatsoever. She felt like a caricature of a woman, maybe a bad stereotype of what a smart woman is. Here is a lady who was at the top of her class in school, has many degrees, rising to the pinnacle of her career. And yet we see her crying in front of coworkers, dancing weirdly in front of colleagues, and speaking almost entirely in American figures of speech, when, due to the nature of her job, she’s often working with people from other countries, who have no idea what she’s talking about. But when she’s around other Americans, she doesn’t do this. And for some reason, the author thinks that when women get together (even professional peers), they take off their clothes, drink, dance, and talk about boys. Yes, that really happened, and in a professional setting, no less.
It seemed like an unintentional message of this story was, “yes there are smart woman, BUT they are girls, and therefore still kinda dumb.” I’m still shaking my head at this one.
September 9, 2019
Most hard science fiction is about space travel, first contact, robotics, the multiverse, or some other topic that's familiar to fans schooled in science. But here's one that's about paleontology, and what a revelation it is! Eugene Linden, who previously wrote more than a dozen nonfiction books about science, technology, and the environment, turns his attention to fiction in Deep Past. This tensely plotted and thoroughly enjoyable novel poses questions most scientists are loath to ask. For instance, why is it that homo sapiens is the only highly intelligent species ever to walk the Earth? Or are we?
An unwelcome assignment in Kazakhstan
In Deep Past, Dr. Claire Knowland is a specialist in animal communication. Her "true passion" is the study of animal intelligence. She teaches at a prestigious New England liberal arts university, where she leads a team engaging in "experiments to determine what information elephants conveyed through ultrasonic communication." Then, apparently because she's impressed her colleagues with her skill as an administrator, her life is upended. The powers that be at the university assign her to take charge of a paleontology group working at a remote site in Kazakhstan. She's to replace a scientist forced to leave because he's ill. It's an unwelcome assignment, on many levels, but Claire has no choice.
A discovery of bones that are 5.5 million years old
Once on site in the inhospitable environment of northern Kazakhstan, Claire's misgivings are richly confirmed. She's assigned an intrusive handler by the government. Several members of her new team are openly hostile. And the group has come up with absolutely nothing of paleontological interest after two years of effort. Then, all of a sudden, the head of security at a nearby site where a mining consortium is exploring the potential for large-scale operations approaches her with a startling find. The head geologist at the mining site had uncovered what looks like ancient elephant bones—at a place where elephants had never before been found. Impossibly, the bones were 5.5 million years old!
Is homo sapiens the only highly intelligent species ever to walk the Earth?
Well, that's just the beginning of Claire's odyssey into the realm of high-stakes academic politics, high-level corruption, and superpower conflict. And in the middle of it all Claire falls in love with the Russian geologist who discovered the bones. The combination—well-grounded scientific speculation, a picture of "the ferocity with which science holds onto its paradigms," and a love story—is hard to put down.
Notes from the author
Although the story in Deep Past may be hard to believe, it's clearly based on demonstrable science. As Eugene Linden writes in an Author's Note, "Claire's background in studies of animal intelligence flows from my own investigations of the field over four decades." He notes further in the Acknowledgments that "[t]he idea for this novel grew out of a simple thought: if the human race had died out 15,000 years ago, a million or so years from now, no successor intelligent species would have any evidence that a prior intelligent species had ever walked the planet."
An unwelcome assignment in Kazakhstan
In Deep Past, Dr. Claire Knowland is a specialist in animal communication. Her "true passion" is the study of animal intelligence. She teaches at a prestigious New England liberal arts university, where she leads a team engaging in "experiments to determine what information elephants conveyed through ultrasonic communication." Then, apparently because she's impressed her colleagues with her skill as an administrator, her life is upended. The powers that be at the university assign her to take charge of a paleontology group working at a remote site in Kazakhstan. She's to replace a scientist forced to leave because he's ill. It's an unwelcome assignment, on many levels, but Claire has no choice.
A discovery of bones that are 5.5 million years old
Once on site in the inhospitable environment of northern Kazakhstan, Claire's misgivings are richly confirmed. She's assigned an intrusive handler by the government. Several members of her new team are openly hostile. And the group has come up with absolutely nothing of paleontological interest after two years of effort. Then, all of a sudden, the head of security at a nearby site where a mining consortium is exploring the potential for large-scale operations approaches her with a startling find. The head geologist at the mining site had uncovered what looks like ancient elephant bones—at a place where elephants had never before been found. Impossibly, the bones were 5.5 million years old!
Is homo sapiens the only highly intelligent species ever to walk the Earth?
Well, that's just the beginning of Claire's odyssey into the realm of high-stakes academic politics, high-level corruption, and superpower conflict. And in the middle of it all Claire falls in love with the Russian geologist who discovered the bones. The combination—well-grounded scientific speculation, a picture of "the ferocity with which science holds onto its paradigms," and a love story—is hard to put down.
Notes from the author
Although the story in Deep Past may be hard to believe, it's clearly based on demonstrable science. As Eugene Linden writes in an Author's Note, "Claire's background in studies of animal intelligence flows from my own investigations of the field over four decades." He notes further in the Acknowledgments that "[t]he idea for this novel grew out of a simple thought: if the human race had died out 15,000 years ago, a million or so years from now, no successor intelligent species would have any evidence that a prior intelligent species had ever walked the planet."
Read
March 18, 2019I received a copy of this via a Goodreads giveaway. Am DNF'ing this for the time being. Hoping to return to it once my reading pile has cleared out a bit. While the premise seemed promising, it's been a tough book to get into because the narrative is a bit dry. Hoping it'll pick up once I'm able to come back to it.
October 28, 2019
3 stars. I found this to be an interesting read from a speculative science perspective. Author Linden called on his own studies with animal intelligence and its possible adaptation to climate upheavals to craft a novel I'd best describe as a blend of "what if" paleontology with political (both academic and international) themes. I wasn't as crazy about the cast of characters, finding the MC female scientist a bit too much of the "emotional female" trope and several of the minor characters often confusing to tell apart. However, I managed to overlook most of the weaknesses in the character development as I was much more interested in seeing where Linden was going with his premise "If nature could invent intelligence of our scale in a blink of geologic time, who’s to say it hasn’t been done before… " That and the fact elephants were involved kept me hooked.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads giveaway.
I received a copy of this novel via a Goodreads giveaway.
July 12, 2019
Half of this book is about geopolitics and half is about comparative evolution.
Me: *oiling up my body* "Well, I've never wanted to fuck a book before but..."
Me: *oiling up my body* "Well, I've never wanted to fuck a book before but..."
Read
July 22, 2019DNF after only 38 pages. That may seem unfair, but it isn't. While the plot may turn into something interesting, the writing can't get me there. The characters are bumbling idiots with science degrees tacked to their names. Sure, they can spout off some scientific exposition, but then they turn and have a conversation so dumb even a teenager would scoff at. Let's face it, there are too many books out there to read a bad one. And this is sure to be a bad one. Only beginner readers or paleontology lovers need apply... actually, even paleontology lovers... you can do better, read Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Stephen Brusatte.
Thanks goodreads for supplying me a review copy.
Thanks goodreads for supplying me a review copy.
July 5, 2019
Great plot, subject and setting. But I did not like the characters and how they were portrayed. Claire the lead character was very unprofessional and shallow for a scientist. Also the narration not the character dialog seemed to drive most of this book. It felt like more of an archeological paper than a book of fiction. This made reading “Deep Past” a roller coaster read. Fascinating subject and I loved the elephants but I just could not connect with this book. Thank you to Rosetta Books and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this story.
July 29, 2024
I received this from Bobimedia. Thanks to #bobinyc and @#inkshares. A different read for me. An interesting mix of geological evolution, climate change, species evolution, and intelligence. The author took liberties to make it a fictional plot. But it was very well written and thought provoking. It was very well researched and executed. The characters were a little awkward and either didn’t make the best decisions career wise or personal. It did drag a bit for me in some parts due to the bureaucracy and red tape they encountered.
November 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this genre-crossing story. At heart, it is crime-fiction involving geo-political maneuvering and some really bad actors. We get ancient and modern mysteries, compelling tension, interesting characters, and some romance. What's not to like? 👍😊
The story also gives us a glimpse of how science actually gets done. That part perhaps gets a little deep into the weeds, but it was very interesting to me and is integral to the story.
4.5 stars rounded up.
The story also gives us a glimpse of how science actually gets done. That part perhaps gets a little deep into the weeds, but it was very interesting to me and is integral to the story.
4.5 stars rounded up.
May 19, 2019
When, early in the first few pages, I read that something has been uncovered in a forlorn, isolated, region of the world (specifically, the Kazahk Steppes), immediately I knew I was embarking on a suspense-laden thrill ride. What was revealed? Why shouldn't it have been discovered? What does this mean for humanity and the world at large?
All these burning questions ignited my intrigue, and this thoughtful (and thought-provoking), literate exposition in a thriller maintained my close attention throughout. Afterwards, I found myself lost in the possibilities: What If? DEEP PAST is a novel we all ought to read and consider.
All these burning questions ignited my intrigue, and this thoughtful (and thought-provoking), literate exposition in a thriller maintained my close attention throughout. Afterwards, I found myself lost in the possibilities: What If? DEEP PAST is a novel we all ought to read and consider.
February 24, 2019
I received the past as an advanced readers copy from Goodreads. This book is basically fiction with so much information about elephants that is true. I love this book the mystery, The information about elephants, the love story, and the insight into how Russia and all the adjacent countries are working together. I’m thinking that if you like fiction with a lot of nonfiction mix then you will really enjoy this book. Clare, Sergi, Rob, and Katie make you really like them in and be into the story.
August 7, 2019
What if.... This is the premise upon which the novel revolves. A startling scientific discovery turns a hum-drum archaeological dig into a thought-provoking mystery. This book will definitely make you ponder the place of humans on this planet. I received this book as part of the Goodreads Giveaway program.
April 10, 2021
If you are a pushover for paleontology, you will love this book. I am, and I was. As it nears its end, all the inter-country spy intrigue nearly blows it up, but the author saves the day. Good fun. Good writing.
May 22, 2024
I wanted to like this more than I did. It is, undoubtedly, a ripping yarn. His science is intriguing - building on his extensive writings on animal behaviour, fiction allows him to be more speculative. The idea that intelligent species have lived and died without leaving a trace is plausible, given the patchiness of the fossil record. However. Female scientists in the field have a hard enough time of it already. See https://www.science.org/content/artic... for a eye-opening overview. So why, oh why, does a male author feel obliged to make reference to how good a female field scientist looks when she cleans herself up a bit? Why can we not have a female protagonist who simply does good science? In this book, every female is described in terms of her sexiness, and much is made of the jealous interplay among them. Mr. Linden, please read the article I linked to above, and then think about how you could do better in your next book.
July 24, 2019
Deep Past is an interesting blend of archaeological adventure story and thriller. Stuck at a dig that 's not necessarily her area of interest (or expertise), Claire jumps at the opportunity to go view some bones that have been found at another location. Realizing that the find may have huge significance, she and her newfound associates must decide how to proceed without attracting the attention of the wrong, corrupt authorities.
There's no deep science here, but there is enough to let the reader know why the bones are important and to understand why the characters choose to handle things the way they do. I was drawn in by the interesting find, and the political intrigue kept me reading. Deep Past isn't a non-stop action thriller, but once I got started I needed to know how it all turned out.
Fans of Michael Crichton or James Rollins should enjoy this story.
There's no deep science here, but there is enough to let the reader know why the bones are important and to understand why the characters choose to handle things the way they do. I was drawn in by the interesting find, and the political intrigue kept me reading. Deep Past isn't a non-stop action thriller, but once I got started I needed to know how it all turned out.
Fans of Michael Crichton or James Rollins should enjoy this story.
January 7, 2021
I liked this book. It wasn't the best book I've ever read, but it was interesting and I appreciate some fantastical notions in my fiction, as long as that's where they stay and not cast about as if they're fact. I feel like that's worth pointing out today, the day after people stormed the capital based on lies and conspiracies.
This is the story about how life may have evolved on our planet before humans, and before hominids were even capable of leaving Africa. Who knows what life might have looked like that long ago? That's the fun part. I liked the writer's take on what species today might have been related to them and where they'd fit into the scheme of things. I know some other people who would appreciate the reference to their favorite animals.
Worth reading if you want a single book, no series, pretty good scientific thriller.
This is the story about how life may have evolved on our planet before humans, and before hominids were even capable of leaving Africa. Who knows what life might have looked like that long ago? That's the fun part. I liked the writer's take on what species today might have been related to them and where they'd fit into the scheme of things. I know some other people who would appreciate the reference to their favorite animals.
Worth reading if you want a single book, no series, pretty good scientific thriller.
November 12, 2023
superb
When I picked up this book, I was hesitant I didn’t know the author, and I was a little concerned about the contact. But the author caught me from the first chapter I was hooked.
Destroy progress as quickly And you are so absorbed in the beauty of what is being done that you can’t put it down. It was so hard to have to stop reading at any time and it did take me a few days to finish it because of course real life has a way of interfering in our reading.
This author is phenomenal and the way he describes events and emotions. He draws us in to the story, and we can feel the events as they happen. When you read the novel you’ll understand exactly what I mean. There are moments in the story when you feel teachers standing there with the characters, bravo and I cannot wait to read his next novel.
When I picked up this book, I was hesitant I didn’t know the author, and I was a little concerned about the contact. But the author caught me from the first chapter I was hooked.
Destroy progress as quickly And you are so absorbed in the beauty of what is being done that you can’t put it down. It was so hard to have to stop reading at any time and it did take me a few days to finish it because of course real life has a way of interfering in our reading.
This author is phenomenal and the way he describes events and emotions. He draws us in to the story, and we can feel the events as they happen. When you read the novel you’ll understand exactly what I mean. There are moments in the story when you feel teachers standing there with the characters, bravo and I cannot wait to read his next novel.
January 26, 2021
Anthropologist Clare Knowland dig is going so well that she admits to her bosses funding the project that it was practically running itself. Oops, as they then ask/demand that she take over another project whose manager is ill. Soon Clare finds herself in Kazakhstan and in the middle of a territorial scrimmage between governments and corrupt politicians. Having someone come to her about a possible earthshaking archeological find does not help.
A fast paced story with interesting characters. Also, one with an interesting back story from the author that relates to how little we really know about early Earth history which makes me want to read his nonfiction titles.
A fast paced story with interesting characters. Also, one with an interesting back story from the author that relates to how little we really know about early Earth history which makes me want to read his nonfiction titles.
December 17, 2025
I received a free kindle copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway win and would like to thank anyone involved in making that happen.
This has a really great premise and I found the science in it to be very interesting. That said, it is pretty slow moving and I had to push myself to finish it as I wasn't compelled to pick it back up. There was a lot of politics involved in the story which I found really boring and the way that the female characters were portrayed was problematic. The main character, supposedly an intelligent, professional and successful adult scientist starts crying during an important meeting and actually says "I'm sorry, I'm such a girl". Yikes!
This has a really great premise and I found the science in it to be very interesting. That said, it is pretty slow moving and I had to push myself to finish it as I wasn't compelled to pick it back up. There was a lot of politics involved in the story which I found really boring and the way that the female characters were portrayed was problematic. The main character, supposedly an intelligent, professional and successful adult scientist starts crying during an important meeting and actually says "I'm sorry, I'm such a girl". Yikes!
August 8, 2025
Overall, I really enjoyed reading Deep Past. Learned more about elephant research and behavior than I ever knew. Just assuming current research is based on fact despite the book being SF. Enjoy archaeology stories with multiple layers. There are always other parties interested in stealing the find, covering up the find, and this case throw in the overthrow of the government where the find is located. A lot more science than anticipated. Loved the scenes were Katie is interacting with live elephants. I read for entertainment so already started Book 2 in the series.
October 7, 2025
I listened to this as an audiobook and loved it. This is in part because it appeals to my interest in novels about scientists and deep time, but that aside, the combination of slow-burn suspense, love story, and provocative speculation about evidence of intelligent creatures found in the fossil record of the deep past make this academic thriller a highly compelling read no matter what your interests. The book is very well structured, the writing is straightforward and clear and the cast of characters is varied, interesting, and well drawn. Highly recommended.
May 13, 2019
Five million year old elephant bones are found on a mineral mining project in Kazakhstan. The find indicates that ancient elephants were highly intelligent and would change our current understanding of evolution. Much chaos ensues . . . political, scientific, corporate, and personal. There are scientific parts to this book but also much governmental and corporate power conflicts. Oh, and some romance thrown in, too. Overall, I did like the book and characters and would recommend.
July 11, 2019
I won this book in Goodreads giveaway. I am giving it 3 stars. A mystery thriller that keeps you wondering. The plot seemed a little far fetched but I found the science interesting.Linden does a good job of integrating intriguing speculative science into a page-turning plot. My only problem is with the description of items and events. It was hard to visualize what the array and steppes looked like. he should have done better job of showing the reader rather than telling. Make it vivid.
August 8, 2019
Claire Knowland an anthropologist doing a dig in Kazakhstan becomes involved in a significant find regarding her previous study of elephants. She and her team become involved with a mining operation and some of the mining key management and scientists. Ultimately their is civil unrest and a takeover by Russia of Kazakhstan. Their is significant findings regarding 5 million year old elephant inhabitants of the area.
November 5, 2019
Four stars just for the fact that it's about an alternate past where another intelligent species existed millions of years ago that hadn't been discovered yet. The idea that there have been intelligent species on Earth before us is fascinating. The book could have been executed better, and I agree with some others that I would have liked more science and less political intrigue, but still a cool idea.
December 18, 2019
A surprisingly good read! I almost put this book back, after reading the poor average rating, but the premise of the story had drawn me in. It is the story of a great archeological find in remote Kazakhstan, and all the political, cultural, and institutional hurdles that must be overcome to bring the find to the light of day. It also shows how hard it is to get published in the scientific field. All that, and the book is a very good thriller to boot! Check it out.
May 17, 2021
The science parts (ie, about elephants and their evolution) were really good, and if the book had focused on that, I might have given 4 or 5 stars. However, this whole unrelated international intrigue (which was not very intriguing) plot was added around the interesting plot. The pace of the story was quite slow through most of the book. The characters were not particularly interesting either. All in all, a disappointing read.
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