Novel Paleontology

The novels Almost Adam by Petru Popescu and Neanderthal by John Darnton are both stories about present-day discoveries of hominid (proto-human) societies in remote locations.

Almost Adam is a story about the discovery by paleoantropologist Ken Lauder of the fossilized remains of an australopithecine-robustus in the Kenyan outback. Lauder also discovers mysterious (and recently made) primate footprints. He is determined to return to the site, prepared to solve the mystery. The rest of the story tells of Lauder's return expedition; his harrowing escape from savanna poachers; his meeting the owner of the footprints (an australopithecine youth who he names Longtoes); and of Lauder's survival in the company of a Longtoes and his tribe.

In Neanderthal paleontologists Dr. Matt Mattison and Dr. Susan Arnot, receive cryptic messages from their former professor, Dr. Jerome Kellicut, about a momentous finding in a remote mountainous area of Tajikistan. The book follows their journey to Tajikistan and their discovery of two bands of Neanderthal. One vicious, cave-dwelling meat-eaters (bad guys), and the other peaceful, valley-dwelling vegetarians (good guys). The good Doctors proceed to teach the valley-dwellers how to defend themselves from (to kill) the cave-dwellers.

Points In Common

Almost Adam and Neanderthal have more in common than just story concept. The science in both books is interesting, but limited. Neither book is particularly deep. These are action stories with science thrown in for backdrop and effect. You're not going to learn much paleontology.

Both books do provide thought-provoking glimpses into human development: the beginnings of cooperation between individuals (the hunt); the use of rudimentary tools (and weapons); the establishment of a social hierarchy based on intelligence and strength; and the development of complex social structures around the family and hearth.

One measurement of good literature is character development. Did the author introduce characters that you could care about (one way or the other)? In both these novels the character development is somewhat shallow. Both books follow an action or thriller formula, where there is more emphasis on the actions of the characters than on their motivations. Heroes and villains, a little sex is thrown in for spice, and in the end the good guys win and the bad guys die.

Historical Fiction...Kind Of...

In historical fiction information about actual historical events or circumstances are placed within the context of a story. The story is the glue that ties the facts together, making the information easier to relate to and understand. Almost Adam and Neanderthal place paleontology and anthropology into the framework of a story, making some basics of human evolutionary theory accessible to the general reader. In addition to the entertainment value in these novels, reading them may provide insight into human evolution, and motivate further study of the subject.

"A Book Is Less Important For What It Says..."

Author Louis Lamour once wrote, "a book is less important for what it says, than for what it makes you think." Both these books made me think about a number of things: What were the primary driving forces in human evolution from these early hominids to modern Homo-Sapiens? Were the older hominids destroyed by later races through competition for food and territory? How will modern humans evolve to meet the demands of our reality, or will we be supplanted by some future model?

My call on Almost Adam and Neanderthal? While hardly great literature, these books are worth reading.