Mammoth
	Author(s):	Varley, John
	Publisher:	Ace Books
	Date:	2005
	ISBN:	0-441-01281-7
	Cause:	Time Travel
	Creatures:	Extinct Mammals
	Submitted by:	Mike Riley (07/04/06)
Exerpt: "That was when the first mammoth exploded. There was no big bang and no flames. The massive head simply came apart in a shower of blood and meat and bone, and the ten-ton pachyderm hurtling along at fifteen or twenty mile an hour stopped dead and was shoved backward ten feet as if by a giant hand, tumbling onto its back and into the mammoth following it. A stream of blood fountained from the corpse like a high-pressure hose into the face of the second mammoth, which fell over the body, bellowing in terror."
Reviews: "Varley's sparkling wit pulls one surprise after another out of this unconventional blend of science and social commentary with real people convincingly doing unreal things" (Publishers Weekly) "Varley has written a captivating time-travel thriller. Although he delves deeply into scientific and metaphysical principles, Varley never loses sight of his characters, who, like the engaging baby mammoth Fuzzy, keep the book alive." (Bookmarks Magazine) " Following on John Varley’s strong 2004 race to Mars novel Red Thunder, time travel adventure Mammoth is a foul tip of a tale that may appeal to Varley’s core fans and consumers of mainstream techno-thrillers, yet will leave true sci-fi readers disappointed at an alright but not spot on effort." (Carlos Aranaga)

2-1/2 Scars

My Opinion: If I was reviewing this book for any other reason than the topic of this website (i.e., "nature on the rampage"), I might recommend it with only minor reservations. However, this book contains very little material pitting "man against beast". It's an interesting time travel-initiated story full of mathematical/physical science theory and possible ramifications of applying unlimited resources to a passion. I found much of this book to be tedious although it sets up the final chapters quite well.

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