Prehistoric fiction

Summary

Prehistoric fiction is a literary genre in which the story is set in the period of time prior to the existence of written record, known as prehistory.[1][2] As a fictional genre, the realistic description of the subject varies, without necessarily a commitment to develop an objective anthropological account. Because of this, it is possible that the author of prehistoric fiction deals with their subject with much more freedom than the author of a historical fiction, and the genre also has connections with speculative fiction.[3] In many narratives, humans and dinosaurs live together, despite the extinction of the dinosaurs and the evolution of humans being separated by millions of years. The paleontologist Björn Kurtén coined the term "paleofiction" to define his works.[4]

"A hunter attacking a brown bear.", art from The Cave Boy of the Age of Stone, novel by Margaret A. McIntyre.

One of the derivatives of cyberpunk is stonepunk, a subgenre of science fiction. Stonepunk is a neologism born from the contraction between a stone and cyberpunk. This is an uchronia that refers to the massive use of technology in prehistoric times.[5]

List of prehistoric fiction edit

Print edit

Novels and series edit

  • Dreamer Books: An Ice Age Saga (2016 - 2023) by E. A. Meigs

Short stories and collections edit

Comics edit

Film, television, and video edit

 
Scene from When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth

Games edit

Tabletop games edit

  • GURPS Ice Age (1989) by Kirk Wilson Tate
  • Stone Age (2008)
  • Cavemaster (2012) by Jeff Dee and Talzhemir Mrr
  • Wolf-Packs and Winter Snow (2016)
  • Würm (2017) by Emmanuel Roudier, Olivier Castan, and Éric Gilleron
  • Planegea (2023) by David Somerville

Video games edit

See also edit

Further reading edit

  • Ruddick, Nicholas. The Fire in the Stone: Prehistoric Fiction from Charles Darwin to Jean M. Auel. Middletown, CT. Wesleyan University Press, 2009.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Trussel, Stephen. "Prehistoric Fiction". www.trussel.com. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  2. ^ "What was prehistoric Britain like?". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  3. ^ "Prehistoric SF". The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  4. ^ Annales zoologici fennici. Finnish Zoological and Botanical Pub. Board. 1991.
  5. ^ "Punkpunk: A Compendium of Literary Punk Genres". LitReactor. Retrieved 2021-12-31.
  6. ^ de Sousa Causo, Roberto. "Curiosities - Sambaqui: A Novel of Pre-History, by Stella Carr Ribeiro (1987)". SF Site. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  7. ^ Thomas, G. W. (2020-02-03). "Spear and Fang: A Prehistoric Premiere". Dark Worlds Quarterly. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  8. ^ Appelbaum, Stanley; Kelly, Richard Michael (1981-01-01). Great Drawings and Illustrations from Punch, 1841-1901: 192 Works by Leech, Keene, Du Maurier, May and 21 Others. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-24110-4.
  9. ^ "BD de préhistoire - Pascal Semonsut - Hominidés". www.hominides.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  10. ^ EPEDITORA (2013-11-19). "Shiko faz releitura ousada de personagem de Mauricio de Sousa". EP GRUPO | Agência de Conteúdo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  11. ^ Avila, Gabriel (2019-06-05). "Piteco - Fogo | Preview da Graphic MSP mostra luta de tribos; confira". Omelete (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  12. ^ a b c d "La préhistoire sur grand écran - Pascal Semonsut - Hominidés". www.hominides.com. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  13. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (2018-08-15). "Film Review: 'Alpha'". Variety. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  14. ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (2019-03-14). "'Iceman' Review: Retribution in the Neolithic Age". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  15. ^ "'Roots of Pacha'". Retrieved 2023-05-19.

External links edit

  • Prehistoric Fiction
  • Reader's Corner's page
  • Prehistoric SF at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction – with linked entries on "Origin of Man" and related themes
  • Novels Set in Prehistoric Times and Time-Sweep Novels
  • Entre pédagogie et parodie, la préhistoire dans la bande dessinée francophone (in French)