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Jur: A Story of Pre-dawn Earth - Tom Johnson Book Review

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Review Summary


Novel, Aug 2002, 169 pp.
ISBN: 159050359

Trying to prove her theory that an ancient civilization employed technology matching modern times (1930s), archeologist Odette-Aimee St. Claire explores ruins in Nigeria. She enters a gloomy room with a black obsidian wall when a cobra attacks her. Odette falls through the wall.

Accused of stealing money that he did not take, Aaron Jamison decides to flee into the jungle in search of the missing Odette. He enters the same chamber and is attacked by the cobra before falling through the obsidian wall.

Lost, Odette and Aaron separately head towards a river when he finally catches up to her. They continue their journey together hoping to find the civilization that created the time portal and apparently transferred animals and humanoids from various periods into this era. As they seek to learn how the anachronisms of time are in this strange land so they can go home, they fall in love. However, every step is dangerous as the duet seeks the truth of the portal but learn the peril of the new world they now live in.

This is an exciting science fiction romance tale that is at its best when the lead couple bravely explores this strange new world. Odette is a wonderful heroine, but it is Aaron who steals the show as he whimsically dreams of a dog with a beer at Gehrig's Yankee Stadium. Though the final twist is well conceived it weakens a powerful tale of urban dwellers residing in a prehistoric world that is worth reading by the Jurassic Crowd.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of Jur: A Story of Pre-dawn Earth
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Time Travel: - largely backwards/past
Plotlets: - exploring a wondrous planet or phenomena
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - two lovers coping with tough mission
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Time Travel story? Yes

Main Character
Identity: - Female
Profession/status: - archaeologist
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - an entire race
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount

Setting
Earth setting: - dinosaur times
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Jur: A Story of Pre-dawn Earth
Dark Range by S. Roy L. Hawkins
Savage Land of Jur by Tom Johnson
Precursor by C.J. Cherryh
Chindi by Jack McDevitt
The Dancers at the End of Time - Eternal Champion 10 by Michael Moorcock




Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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