Dragon Teeth

A western about dinosaurs? This was practically written for me!

Anyone with a more than a passing interest in palaeontology will likely have heard of the infamous ‘Bone Wars' between Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, a vicious rivalry which is responsible for the fevered discovery of dinosaurs in the American West in the late 19th century. Over 100+ new species were identified in this period, including triceratops, stegosaurus and allosaurus, as each man was determined to discover more than the other and going to great lengths to come out on top.

This novel, published posthumously, uses this as the backdrop for the story of William Johnson, a (fictitious) student of Yale College engaged in a rivalry of his own. After making a bet with a fellow student, Johnson manages to wing his way onto an expedition led by Marsh to the Badlands, in an effort to discover fossils. After being left behind, he is welcomed to a group led by Cope, following hot on Marsh's heels.

What follows has the hallmarks of all classic westerns: gun fights, saloons and vast landscapes of wilderness, all of which serve to detail one young man's experience of the feud between two figures of historical significance in what is in many ways a coming of age story. While this novel takes place in 1876, it's worth noting that the so called Great Dinosaur Rush lasted for over twenty years. Crichton acknowledges this in an afterword, advising the reader that in plenty of respects he has actually toned down the feud between Cope and Marsh.

Furthermore, unlike many novels “discovered” (but often ghost-written) after the death of a celebrated writer, this does read like pure Crichton. I've only read Jurassic Park & The Lost World, but he has a clearly recognisable to the point style, and that was present here.

Definitely recommended for anyone with an interest in palaeontology, westerns or both!