After Man: A Zoology of the Future [Paperback]

Dougal Dixon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0312194331 | ISBN-13: 978-0312194338 | Publication Date: September 15, 1998 | Edition: 1st

What exotic creatures does tomorrow hold? Dougal Dixon's classic work of speculative anthropology blends science and fantasy in a stunning zoology of the future.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Uncannily believable. Dixon's invented animals, some of them beautiful enough to live, engender reflection about the mysterious forces at work beneath the skin of real animals." --The New York Times Book Review

"A fascinating, elegant fantasy." --Boston Globe

"After Man is grand fun and marvelously imaginative." --The Los Angeles Times Book Review

"[Dixon's] brief explanation of the principles of evolution is so lucid, and the detailed illustrations of futuristic beasts are so charming, that After Man is bound to captivate readers of all ages." --Chicago Sun-Times

"An extraordinary book! There are wonders on every page. After Man is an extrapolative tour de force." --Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine

"Stunning in execution and implication, this will be a decided treat for futurist biology student or enthusiast, science fiction fan and general reader." --Booklist

About the Author

Dougal Dixon studied geology and paleontology at the University of St. Andrews, where he continued as a research student to revise the standard work on the palaeogeography of the British Isles. In recent years he has worked in publishing and has contributed numerous articles about earth science and evolution to encyclopedias and popular science books.

Model making and the creation of animated films occupy much of his spare time.

The idea of writing about evolution looking forwards rather than backwards was not a sudden inspiration but has been evolving in the author's mind ever since his college days.

Product Details

• Paperback: 124 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (September 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312194331
• ISBN-13: 978-0312194338
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,206,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Almost like a science book..., March 14, 2003

By 

Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: After Man: A Zoology of the Future (Paperback)

What would happen if mankind disappeared and the animals of Earth went back to following the rules of evolution? This book will show you. Each part of the book deals with another region of the Earth; deserts, glasslands, polar regions and so on. See meat-eating predators evolved from rats and bats, large grazers and browsers developed from fast breeding rabbits and the sea going creatures descended from penguins.
Like the book 'Man After Man', the book starts off with science chapters that in this case do their best to explain evolution, the food chain and the history of life on Earth.
Unlike 'Man After Man' it is not set up like a story, but a true non-fiction text book, like one you might have in a class room or while out camping. It also has maps and gives you information on the environments and what changes have happened to the Earth during the 50 million years. With just over 120 pages and full of color pictures, I wish there had been more! 'Man After Man' felt longer because it had more text and less pictures.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative, educational, and just plain fun!, November 20, 2001

By 

J. N. Mohlman (Barrington, RI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: After Man: A Zoology of the Future (Paperback)

"After Man" is one of the most engaging, creative books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. While one might think from its outlandish illustrations that it is a book for children, this is simply not the case. That's not to say a ten or eleven year old wouldn't enjoy this book, but there's plenty an adult can take away from it as well.

Beginning with a basic review of the principles of biology and evolution, Dixon proceeds to apply them across a range of environments on an Earth 50 million years removed from mankind. The result is a menagerie of remarkable creatures. Remarkable in that they are frequently unique, even bizarre, but even more remarkable because they represent the result of a familiar creature's evolution. Dixon's world isn't a fantasyland, every creature in it holds true to the principles he so effectively explains in the first chapter. Moreover, they all fill an important ecological niche; he hasn't created 150 pages of carnivores. Rather, he presents a balanced, albeit limited, ecosystem that sheds light on the state of our own environment today.

Beautifully illustrated and highly engaging, "After Man" is a must read for anyone interested in evolution and anthropology. Furthermore, this book is educational without being heavy handed. One by no means needs to be an expert to learn from and enjoy this very unique work.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly inspirational book!, August 5, 2004

By 

Timmyfan "Official Timette" (Ocean Shores, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After Man: A Zoology of the Future (Paperback)

I bought my copy of this book in 1992 and not a day goes by since then that I haven't stopped imagining myself what the animals of the future world will look like. Unfortunately there aren't many scientists thinking about this side of zoology and evolution, so when I see a book about this kind of subject I snap it up like a flash! I was highly disappointed by Animal Planet's "The Future is Wild", but NOT this book! This book thrills me to no end. It only has a relatively few pages, but it has inspired a whole world of imagination for me! My favorite animals in this book is hands down the predatory rats. To look in this book is to view the "real" Age of Mammals in the way it should be. I refer everybody who views my webpage (about future mammal evolution) to this book, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I do.