Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Ace Books, 2005.
Description
Fiction. Science Fiction. HTML:A "rollicking, bittersweet tale of time travel and ecology" from the Nebula and Hugo Award�winning author of the Gaea Trilogy (Publishers Weekly, starred review). "H. G. Wells meets Jurassic Park" in this novel about a multibillionaire, a time machine, and a baby woolly mammoth named Little Fuzzy (The Best Reviews). The discovery of a perfectly preserved frozen mammoth in the Canadian wilderness gives wealthy visionary Howard Christian the opportunity of a lifetime: to clone it. But what really piques Christian's curiosity is what he finds next to the mammoth: a metal box�and the mummified body of a man wearing a watch. Working to discover the box's purpose and clone the mammoth, a top physicist and an elephant veterinarian will be flung thousands of years into the past and back again�bringing a baby mammoth along for the ride�in this "imaginative and engaging" adventure that shows "Varley . . . in top form" (San Francisco Chronicle). Praise for John Varley "John Varley is the best writer in America." �Tom Clancy "There are few writers whose work I love more than John Varley's, purely love." �Cory Doctorow "One of science fiction's most important writers." �The Washington Post "Inventive." �The New York Times "One of the genre's most accomplished storytellers." �Publishers Weekly.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member plappen
Multi-billionaire Howard Christian is an eccentric sort who likes to actually play with his toys. His latest obsession is to clone a woolly mammoth. During an expedition in northern Canada, an intact, but mummified mammoth is found. Huddled in the mammoth's fur is a Stone Age man approximately
Matthew Wright, science prodigy, is brought in to figure out what is in the metal suitcase clutched in the Stone Age man's arms. It's some sort of time machine, involving what look like many glass marbles. One day, Matt gets it to work, and takes himself, Susan Wright, who is taking care of a herd of elephants involved in the cloning plan, the elephants, and a Santa Monica warehouse, about 12,000 years in the past. After several days in the past, Matt gets the time machine to work again, and brings himself and Susan back to the present, along with a herd of half a dozen mastodons that happened to be nearby at the time. A baby mastodon, nicknamed Little Fuzzy, and Big Mama, his mother, are the only survivors when they appear in the middle of L.A. traffic.
Five years later, Little Fuzzy is the star of a multi-media extravaganza of a circus in Oregon. Susan is still his handler, because Little Fuzzy won't work with anyone else. She comes up with the idea of kidnapping Fuzzy, and freeing him in the wilds of northern Canada, where he could have something resembling a normal life. But Howard Christian is not about to let that happen.
Does any circus, no matter how progressive, automatically equal mistreating of animals? That's one of the questions explored in this fine piece of storytelling. It is more than just a really good time travel story, and it's well worth reading.
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12,000 years old...wearing a wristwatch.Matthew Wright, science prodigy, is brought in to figure out what is in the metal suitcase clutched in the Stone Age man's arms. It's some sort of time machine, involving what look like many glass marbles. One day, Matt gets it to work, and takes himself, Susan Wright, who is taking care of a herd of elephants involved in the cloning plan, the elephants, and a Santa Monica warehouse, about 12,000 years in the past. After several days in the past, Matt gets the time machine to work again, and brings himself and Susan back to the present, along with a herd of half a dozen mastodons that happened to be nearby at the time. A baby mastodon, nicknamed Little Fuzzy, and Big Mama, his mother, are the only survivors when they appear in the middle of L.A. traffic.
Five years later, Little Fuzzy is the star of a multi-media extravaganza of a circus in Oregon. Susan is still his handler, because Little Fuzzy won't work with anyone else. She comes up with the idea of kidnapping Fuzzy, and freeing him in the wilds of northern Canada, where he could have something resembling a normal life. But Howard Christian is not about to let that happen.
Does any circus, no matter how progressive, automatically equal mistreating of animals? That's one of the questions explored in this fine piece of storytelling. It is more than just a really good time travel story, and it's well worth reading.
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LibraryThing member Theodosia
An engrossing and quick read -- not Varley's best, but under control and very much concerned with the characters. I found myself wishing that Little Fuzzy -- the titular mammoth -- had been more of a character in it.
LibraryThing member dragonasbreath
A team working on cloning a mammoth run into a mystery - behind their latest mammoth find is a frozen corpses...waring a watch.
This leads to developing a method of going back in time to visit that mammoth alive and try to solve the mystery of the people.
Interwoven is a short juvenile story about
Still haven't been able to do more than start this book. It's an interesting premise, but just couldn't get into it - and the juvenile story interweaving is... distracting.
It does have a website for more of the story, though!
This leads to developing a method of going back in time to visit that mammoth alive and try to solve the mystery of the people.
Interwoven is a short juvenile story about
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the life and times of a mammoth called "Temba"Still haven't been able to do more than start this book. It's an interesting premise, but just couldn't get into it - and the juvenile story interweaving is... distracting.
It does have a website for more of the story, though!
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LibraryThing member hadden
Mind candy. Fun to read, but little to learn.
LibraryThing member AmphipodGirl
I spent most of the book annoyed at the author. Varley used to write fascinating stuff about gender and life, and now this is just, hum, implausible silliness. I heartily disliked the billionaire mammoth collector, didn't believe in his girlfriend at all, found the acccounts of what wealth and
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privilige can achieve... spotty, and was lukewarm about the other two characters. The story was redeemed a bit by the ending which was a nice twist, even though someone's change of heart was "told not shown". The ending was a nice fake-out and somewhat redeemed things, earning the book its second star. Show Less
LibraryThing member atdCross
A couple of people mysteriously go back in time and then mysteriously come back to the present...with Mammoths in tow! Sounds weird? It is. But that's what makes good sci-fi.
Must admit, the first half of the novel did have some tedious reading but the plot made it interesting enough for me to keep
Must admit, the first half of the novel did have some tedious reading but the plot made it interesting enough for me to keep
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reading. Must say, I was not disappointed. Good, unexpected ending! Show Less
LibraryThing member jldarden
I like time travel stories and have read many. This one is pretty good though the method of travel is never satisfactorily explained. I did feel the exploitation of the results of the travel was cheesy. A rich guy getting richer and not seeing the problem. There is a twist at the end which is a
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little predictable if you're paying attention. A good read for time travel fans. Show Less
LibraryThing member stephkaye
Now THIS is well-written time-travel fiction! PLUS amazing action scenes that leave your heart pounding.
What if a frozen mammoth were found up north -- with a frozen man huddled up against him, sitting on a BRIEFCASE? This sci-fi thriller combines time travel and cloning with plot twists and love.
What if a frozen mammoth were found up north -- with a frozen man huddled up against him, sitting on a BRIEFCASE? This sci-fi thriller combines time travel and cloning with plot twists and love.
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The only reason I don't give it five stars is that the relationships develop a bit too quickly -- but they have to, to keep up with the plot. A great read from a master of action sci-fi, John Varley. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
Multi-billionaire Howard has a “thing” for elephants and mammoths. When he gets his hands on a frozen excavated mammoth, he hires elephant trainer Susan to help impregnate an elephant to create an elephant-mammoth hybrid. Also with that frozen excavated mammoth was found a Stone Age man –
I really liked this. It started off fast paced, and there were plenty of other fast-paced events in the book to keep things really going. And a few surprising events. I also really liked the way the book ended. I wasn’t sure how it was going to wrap up, but I thought it was done quite well.
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with a wristwatch! And a box. Howard figures the box is a time machine and he hires genius mathematician Matt to figure it out. I really liked this. It started off fast paced, and there were plenty of other fast-paced events in the book to keep things really going. And a few surprising events. I also really liked the way the book ended. I wasn’t sure how it was going to wrap up, but I thought it was done quite well.
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Awards
Locus Award (Nominee — Science Fiction Novel — 2006)
Locus Recommended Reading (2005)
Language
Original publication date
2005
Physical description
364 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
0441012817 / 9780441012817