Jules Verne, A Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Voyage au centre de la Terre, a.k.a. A Journey to the Interior of the Earth)
1864 / Audiobook / 183 pages / France****
I'd listened to a radio drama and seen the Willy Fogg adaptation, but glad I finally got around to this certified adventure classic. Verne's enthusiasm for elementary science and travel is infectious, before they head underground and things get enjoyably silly.
Various, The Science Fictional Dinosaur
1950-82 (collected 1982) / Audiobook / pages / USA/UK
Obscure picks from some big-name authors, most of these scientific dragon tales take a more serious and speculative approach than your Edgar Rice Burroughses, but some of them are still pretty dumb.
Faves: Frederick D. Gottfried's 'Hermes to the Ages,' Robert Silverberg's 'Our Lady of the Sauropods.'
Worsties: Robert F. Young's 'When Time Was New,' Isaac Asimov's 'Day of the Hunters.'
Michael Swanwick, Bones of the Earth2002 / Audiobook / 335 pages / USA
***
This self-consciously post-JP prehistoric sci-fi takes the time-honoured time travel approach, overcomplicated with mysterious aliens and relationship angst at the expense of thrills or wonder.
1993-2011 (collected 2011) / Ecomics / 398 pages / USA
***
I would've got more out of Delgado's silent film storyboards if I'd read looked at them at the time, at the height of Jurassic Park-fuelled Dinomania. I liked his scenic vistas the best, ominously pitting the pitiable reptiles against the indifferent forces of nature. The anthropomorphised action sequences were less enthralling.
Nick Attfield, Dinosaur Jr.'s You're Living All Over Me2011 / Ebook / 160 pages / UK
***
I wasn't aware of these proto-grunge kids before, so this was an insightful and entertaining textual documentary to catch. Our chronicler takes an appropriately dismissive tone for the self-described "lazy" band, until he slips up and admits that it's a "great album" towards the end. I think that's going a bit far.
