Dragon Teeth: A Novel

I was suspicious when I heard a new Crichton book was coming out. However, I loved it and it absolutely felt like reading another classic by him. I loved it and would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Well researched and an absolute page turner (I'm writing this at 2 AM because I couldn't put it down!).

Like an unexpected inheritance, Crichton is briefly with us once again, with a combination of historical fact, great characters, intriguing plot, and I suspect tongue-in-cheek. If you love dinosaurs, all the better. Apparently written 40 or so years ago, this is the precursor to Jurassic Park in that it's a real story of the fanatic hunt for fossils of these creatures long before the hunters were completely sure of what they were finding, mixed with the fictional accounts of improbably members of the expeditions. And the conditions of the Old West are worth the price of admission.

Different. Not my usual read. Something about the story keep me in it even though at first I was not so sure I liked it. But, I kept coming back. In the beginning I read one chapter a day. Then, I really got into the story and the protagonist. He is a well done character, and the dialogue had me laughing. The main setting is in "the Wild West." An era that I have not really read much about and have not had a curiosity about to read on. Which probably explains my slow start. Give the book a try. It is worth the effort and I think you will enjoy the tale.

Another great adventure and a fun read sprinkled with historical characters, places, and events that entice you to want to know more about them. I found this book to be fully enjoyable.
What a time in our country's early history; and what it must have been like for those who challenged the common beliefs of the day.
It's also hard to imagine a world without any knowledge of dinosaurs.

This book appeared to me as a blessing from heaven since Michael Crichton has been dead for 10 years now. So I was bit doubting whether it is really his long lost manuscript or not but after few chapters I was sure I was reading another good Crichton.
Unfortunately for me, Dragon Teeth is a historical novel, more like Timeline then like his science-based novels as Prey or Next. But anyway I finished this book within 4 days since it is another breath taking story from the pen of one of the best novelist of the last century.
This book describes the competition of academical fossil hunters from different universities and different evolutionary schools in the wild American West of the 2d half of 19th century when the gold-digging fever was peaking in the background of the bloody wars for Indian territories. It could have been a summer-reading western story with guns, saloons, Indians and whiskey if it was not the precise Michael Crichton who played with all details and put the real personage and real historical events in it turning it into a vivid history-based novel describing how one of the biggest paleontological discoveries could have been made.
It reminded me again how huge loss to the literature Crichton's death was and I hope that many other long lost manuscripts by him will be found soon.

Writer Harlan Ellison has gone on record that, when he dies, his wife will burn all the works in progress to insure they are not completed by another writer, thereby guaranteeing that what he CHOOSES to publish appears in print, and that which he chooses not to appear in print remain unpublished and unfinished.

In this case, what we get in an excavated manuscript, dating back to the mid-seventies.

With wide margins and spacing, this is not the length of a standard Crichton novel; I'm guessing it's about 75%.

As expected, the characterization is not a strong suit; the most vivid characters are, in fact, drawn from real life, including the paleontologists and Wyatt Earp, the famous gunslinger. What is expected is the opportunity to learn something new; in this case, a little about the Indian wars, a shameful era in American history, and a little about paleontology: enough to whet your appetite for more, leading you to pick up JURASSIC PARK (if you haven't done so already).

The story is straightforward and entertaining. It's a fast, light read and Crichton fans know he can tell a good story. But it left me hungering for more: details about how paleontologists do their work, details about the Indian war and, especially, the long-standing feud between the Sioux and their arch-enemies, General Custer, et al. I am especially interested in knowing more about the wild west, when small towns (apparently) were like isolated islands where law and justice weren't necessarily compatible: being handy with a gun carried a lot of weight, even when wielded by a despicable varmint as depicted in this novel by a bad-arse whose trigger-happy solution is to intimidate or perforate anyone with whom he has a quarrel . . . and there are many in that category.

We can only guess as to why Mr. Crichton chose not to bring this into print during his lifetime, and speculation is pointless: We cannot know for certain. But what we DO know is that this was written by him, not completed by someone else, and we see his fictional "voice" and trademarked storytelling, and so what you get, in the end, is a pleasing but somewhat predictable tale that's a quick, fun read but not on the level of say, JURASSIC PARK.

Consider this an appetizer for JURASSIC PARK, a well-crafted novel that holds up well under multiple readings.

I am simply a casual reader not a critique however I found this particular tail to leave me less than satisfied. I greatly enjoyed the era and locations detailed in this book however as for the plot and characters it seemed segmented and flat. It is a very quick read and and enjoyable but I was expecting a little more focus on the details.

Very disappointed in this book. It certainly doesn't live up to his other creations. Someone tried to piece together a book and reading it felt like jumbled up pieces. Not worth the money I paid to get it.

Although it was completed by him many of his writing attributes shine through in this work. It is very clear that much more needed to be done for it to reach full Crichtonwork quality but it is still a good read. Many thanks to his wife and those who have made this novel available at this time Ansi hope if there any other "pearls of Michael Crichton" out there they may soon appear!

I feel like this book was ghostwritten. I've been a Michael Crichton fan ever since I could read. This book does not meet the quality and complexity that I expect from Dr. Crichton. The plot premise is interesting, but the book is so poorly-written that I struggled to finish it. The characters are flat, and the chapters feel like they were pasted together with glue sticks, and then connected by a thin ribbon meant to keep you in"suspense". It took all my dedication to Dr. Crichton to finish it. I'll be taking it to half-price books ASAP. Don't waste your time with this one.

If you like Michael Crichton, this is your last chance, this book was found by his family but never published by him, now here it is.
I enjoyed the book very much about when the old west, Indians and solders as a back drop and archaeologist search of dinosaur bones, while Custer makes his last stand as the main story line. Great adventure with the perils of death from Indians or a wild west characters, all through the eyes of a young college kid on his own.

.

You always have to wonder in a situation like this why the author didn't want to publish the finished manuscript himself. After I have enjoyed so many of Crichton's immensely clever, impecibly well written novels, my guess is that he thought he could do better. And of course, he did. But, for whatever reason, this is still Crichton and still fun to read. My criticism of his later works is that hs books became so entangled in his own firmly held beliefs and theories that that he would depart from a great story to go on and on indulging himself to prove a point (check out his 100 pages of persuasive research on climate change in State of Fear as a case in point). This book is completely free of that. The story here never gets bogged down; it is a slim page turner, which makes it a pretty quick read. He has a plausible story using real people in real settings, but never pretentiously, so the narrative always runs at a steady clip. I certainly recommend the book to Crichton fans (and everyone ought to be a Crichton fan). Another point - when Crichton wrote this book in 1974 there was no such thing as a Young Adult book market. My opinion is this book fits perfectly in that genre and could be marketed as such.

Dragon Teeth is a great, fun American history lesson! I enjoyed becoming familiar with the 1870's from a very different perspective than the "Indian Wars" in school books. Always entertaining, I felt writer Michael Crichton's fascination and joy with the time and subject through every page. Thanks, and please keep writing for us. ZoeV.

As a long time Michael Crichton fan, I about flipped when I learned about this book. It was an enjoyable read, but clearly not a finished product Michael Crichton would have put out. The editorial and publishing team did a good job polishing it, however. If you are Crichton fan, I would suggest this book more for the nostalgia and memory of him than for the content of the book. It is not his typically fast paced, action packed, science soaked work of fiction, but an easy read with a few brief moments of action woven in. One big complaint is the contrived way Crichton or the publishing team forced historical fact and background into the story. It's as if they are trying to prove they did their research to make a historically accurate work of fiction rather than simply a fun read with a good Crichton-esque subtext of scientific and historic fact.

I didn't care for this book. It read like a diary. I kept waiting for it to get suspenseful which is why I love Micheal Crichton, but it never got there. It was like they took the notes he had written as preparation for his story & they just produced it as the story. He would have added the excitement.

I have always been an avid reader of Michael Crichton's novels but this is not one that should have been published. Also I am curious
about why the copyright is going to the wife's company-CrichtonSon and not the John Michael Crichton Trust since it was written
so long ago. Very strange!!

It's clear the novel wasn't fully developed. The story is a good one, though, and it's always great to be able to learn and be entertained at the same time. I wasn't aware of the bone wars before reading this, and it made me want to learn much more about this fascinating aspect of American history. A quick read that's worth the short amount of time it requires.

You know Dragon Teeth won't be as good as Eaters of the Dead or The Great Train Robbery, but please realize it's still worth reading. It's not as consistently well edited or polished as completed Michael Crichton books but that's okay; enjoy it for what it is.

First off, I didn't know Crichton had died. I'll miss his work. Quite a different setting for this one with a combination of Old West, well almost, and infant Eastern modernity. Characters read true and real and not as cut outs. Enjoyed the twist to the finish, which I won't divulge. Quick read as well, with chapters flying by.

I am a huge fan of Michael Crichton, and even read his very early works published under a different name. Dragon Teeth maintains his style and attention to details, but never really builds the suspense you hope for from his novels. Although the character development was up to his usual detail and quality, the book itself was too brief -- it was over before I knew and just felt like there should have been more.

Part history and part fiction, Crichton guides us on a wonderful tale, evoking visions of the Wild West, the photography of the era, and the state of paleontology through the eyes of a young Yale student who changes more than he would ever know.

This a very good book. I know Michael Crichton has passed away and this was something he started and never finished but this
was a book that kept my attention on several levels; the history of the old west, Sioux and Indian tribes, and paleontology. Wish
there could be more books like this. It is not an old and dusty history book.

Not at all what I was expecting or hoping for. It lacked the energy and wonder that his books usually brought to bear. With a title like Dragon Teeth, you're expecting something quite different, at least I was. Once I had accepted I was reading a book in the style of Louis l'Amour, I was hoping that Crichton's originality would come through ... it never does. I truly respect his legacy and the personal nature this book has for his wife and fans alike; but I was just left disappointed.

Not as interesting or complex as a "real" Crichton novel. Don't expect anything like "Jurassic Park," in spite of the dinosaur title. The best part of this book was the nicely done Old West setting.

Like others who had problems with this "novel", I was disappointed with the plot the characters and the writing. It i at bottom a narrative, clumsily told, about an academic expedition by paleontologists to the West in 1870 which found the teeth of an ancient brontosaurus. I think there probably was such an expedition and someone then really might have found the tooth of a brontosaurus - the original of which was the evil villain of"Jurassic Park" by Crichton; but there is something morally repellant about a story which depends for success on the ratings and reputation of a dead man.

This is not one of the best works from Michael Crichton. The second half of the book makes up for a mildly interesting first half. If you plan on buying it, be persistent and you will be rewarded soon.

When I first heard that this manuscript had been discovered and would be published, I couldn't believe it! Michael Crichton is my all time favorite author, and I'm not afraid to admit that when I heard the news, I started crying from excitement.

I pre-ordered the book just as soon as it was available and started reading the day it made it to my doorstep. This book did not disappoint!

I absolutely loved that Mr. Crichton spliced together strands of fiction and history for this book! I loved learning about the real characters and events in the typical Crichton fashion.

Not sure what this was supposed to be - while it seemed to be nonfiction, it turned out to be more fiction than not - particularly the lead character. For me, this started off slowly and confusingly and ended there a short time later. Mercifully, it was a quick read.

It is hard to believe any novel published after Crichton's death was actually written by him. They lack his signature voice. This book is no exception. It is very short and flat in is storyline and description of the early West. No up to par with a Crichton novel.

I have not read much fiction over the last few years primarily sticking to science, philosophy and geopolitics. Being a life long Crichton fan, this book was much anticipated and vert refreshing. Pirate Latitudes didn't feel right so expectations were low, however this read like a true Crichton novel. I honestly felt like a kid again with my first reading of Jurrasic Park, turning page by page, excited for the next development. Without giving away spoilers, I can say that the book has many fun twist , and sufficient (not great) character development that had me rooting for the protagonists and even fearing for their safety at times. A relatively quick read but very pleased with the story overall. Action, adventure, tragedy and even comedy at times. Dragon Teeth brought back the love of fiction I had so along ago forgotten.

I absolutely loved reading this book. The good the bad and the ugly meets paleontology, what more could you ask for?!
This book is such an easy read, but each chapter keeps you hooked and eager to find out what happens next. I enjoyed the historical facts to the story, although I would have to liked to have read more about the rivalry between Cope and Marsh which was "toned down". Saying that I thought it was exciting and was quite sad when finished.
If only Clint Eastwood could play Johnson in a movie of it.

Unlike so many ghost-written novels that are 'polished' after an author's death, Dragon Teeth does feel like the completed manuscript it is purported to be. In fact, it reads very much like one of Michael Crichton's earlier historical novels - The Great Train Robbery, Eaters of the Dead, and even (to some extent) Congo. It is a leaner, simpler sort of story, more concerned with the facts of the past than the theories of the future.

Readers with an interest in paleontology are likely already familiar with the infamous feud between Othniel Charles Marsh and Edwin Drinker Cope, but Crichton makes their rivalry come alive through the unlikely eyes of William Johnson - a wealthy student from the East who lied his way into the West in order to collect on a bet. As Crichton admits in his Author's Note at the end, as crazy as it all is, he deliberately played down some of the more outrageous aspects of the feud, making it seem more realistic to new readers.

Johnson is a fun character to ride along with, a young man who changes drastically over the course of the novel. We watch as he grows and matures, as he has his eyes opened to the harsh realities of the West, and as he fights his way back home - a journey that seems destined to never end. His cross-country journey along the rails is worth the price of admission alone, with a stampeding herd of buffalo a definite highlight, and his time in the barren, wind-swept, alkaline flats is far more fascinating than the landscape would suggest. A good part of the novel there deals with the very real threat of the Indian Wars, with Crichton proving himself to be rather sympathetic, portraying most of the tribes in a positive light. The latter half of the novel is almost a Wild West dime-store novel in and of itself, complete with saloons, gunfights, and even Wyatt Earp. It is there than Johnson shines brightest, becoming not just a convenient narrator, but an authentic hero.

The science here is solid, exploring the discovery, the naming, and the construction of dinosaurs. It is the characters who make Dragon Teeth come alive, though, with heroes and villains alike putting a recognizable face on a very different era. Hopefully, this won't prove to be his last finished manuscript to be discovered but, if it is, then it's nice to know his posthumous career will have ended on a high note.

This is an interesting review to write, as "Dragon Teeth' is based on the same historical events that served as the basis for my own novel, "The Bone Feud." As Crichton novels go--and I've read them all--it's not his best. According to the afterword by his wife, he began doing research for it in the mid-70s and wrote the novel well before Jurassic Park, but it was never published until now.

As with my novel, Crichton took many historical liberties with the Cope and Marsh story. He compressed events, and both stories are told from the point-of-view of a completely fictional character. But curiously, halfway through Crichton's tale, Cope and Marsh vanish, and it follows the fictional main character, Yale student William Johnson. Following an Indian attack, Johnson gets separated from the dinosaur hunters and winds up in Deadwood City, where he meets up with Wyatt Earp and deals with some unsavory types in an extended sequence that has very little to do with bone hunting or paleontology.

Crichton focused on a single bone-hunting season, 1876, and dates everything in an attempt to appear historically accurate. Ironically, he picked the one season in which Marsh chose not to go into the field, so his historical accuracy goes right out the window. He also had Cope planting a counterfeit skull for Marsh to find, though in reality, it was Marsh who planted the skull. Focusing on one season also completely avoided the greatest discoveries of both of their careers, at Como Bluff, which took place the following season. This is where the climax of "The Bone Feud" takes place.

A lot of my favorite events (Marsh's relationship with Red Cloud, for example) are little more than a historical footnote, and the critical event that incited their feud early in their relationship, Cope's unveiling of an aquatic dinosaur skeleton that Marsh noticed was assembled incorrectly, is completely ignored.

Crichton's tale is considerably darker, with very little humor. And with the exception of the fictional lead, virtually every character in the novel, especially Cope and Marsh, are rather despicable. Even Charlie Sternberg is rather bleak. While that might be historically accurate in the cases of Cope and Marsh (they were terrible human beings who both died as bitter as they had lived their lives), given the other liberties taken by the author, making them more sympathetic would have made the story a lot more enjoyable, in my opinion.

I'd probably give "Dragon Teeth" three-and-a-half stars, if that were possible, but in comparison to other Crichton novels, I can't justify giving it four. I did enjoy it, though, and I'd recommend it for people interested in the subject matter.

I have long been a Michael Crichton fan but this particular story did not come across well. I seldom do not finish a book, but this one I put away quickly with no intention of trying to read it any further.

I have not read much fiction over the last few years primarily sticking to science, philosophy and geopolitics. Being a life long Crichton fan, this book was much anticipated and vert refreshing. Pirate Latitudes didn't feel right so expectations were low, however this read like a true Crichton novel. I honestly felt like a kid again with my first reading of Jurrasic Park, turning page by page, excited for the next development. Without giving away spoilers, I can say that the book has many fun twist , and sufficient (not great) character development that had me rooting for the protagonists and even fearing for their safety at times. A relatively quick read but very pleased with the story overall. Action, adventure, tragedy and even comedy at times. Dragon Teeth brought back the love of fiction I had so along ago forgotten.

I absolutely loved reading this book. The good the bad and the ugly meets paleontology, what more could you ask for?!
This book is such an easy read, but each chapter keeps you hooked and eager to find out what happens next. I enjoyed the historical facts to the story, although I would have to liked to have read more about the rivalry between Cope and Marsh which was "toned down". Saying that I thought it was exciting and was quite sad when finished.
If only Clint Eastwood could play Johnson in a movie of it.

Unlike so many ghost-written novels that are 'polished' after an author's death, Dragon Teeth does feel like the completed manuscript it is purported to be. In fact, it reads very much like one of Michael Crichton's earlier historical novels - The Great Train Robbery, Eaters of the Dead, and even (to some extent) Congo. It is a leaner, simpler sort of story, more concerned with the facts of the past than the theories of the future.

Readers with an interest in paleontology are likely already familiar with the infamous feud between Othniel Charles Marsh and Edwin Drinker Cope, but Crichton makes their rivalry come alive through the unlikely eyes of William Johnson - a wealthy student from the East who lied his way into the West in order to collect on a bet. As Crichton admits in his Author's Note at the end, as crazy as it all is, he deliberately played down some of the more outrageous aspects of the feud, making it seem more realistic to new readers.

Johnson is a fun character to ride along with, a young man who changes drastically over the course of the novel. We watch as he grows and matures, as he has his eyes opened to the harsh realities of the West, and as he fights his way back home - a journey that seems destined to never end. His cross-country journey along the rails is worth the price of admission alone, with a stampeding herd of buffalo a definite highlight, and his time in the barren, wind-swept, alkaline flats is far more fascinating than the landscape would suggest. A good part of the novel there deals with the very real threat of the Indian Wars, with Crichton proving himself to be rather sympathetic, portraying most of the tribes in a positive light. The latter half of the novel is almost a Wild West dime-store novel in and of itself, complete with saloons, gunfights, and even Wyatt Earp. It is there than Johnson shines brightest, becoming not just a convenient narrator, but an authentic hero.

The science here is solid, exploring the discovery, the naming, and the construction of dinosaurs. It is the characters who make Dragon Teeth come alive, though, with heroes and villains alike putting a recognizable face on a very different era. Hopefully, this won't prove to be his last finished manuscript to be discovered but, if it is, then it's nice to know his posthumous career will have ended on a high note.

This is an interesting review to write, as "Dragon Teeth' is based on the same historical events that served as the basis for my own novel, "The Bone Feud." As Crichton novels go--and I've read them all--it's not his best. According to the afterword by his wife, he began doing research for it in the mid-70s and wrote the novel well before Jurassic Park, but it was never published until now.

As with my novel, Crichton took many historical liberties with the Cope and Marsh story. He compressed events, and both stories are told from the point-of-view of a completely fictional character. But curiously, halfway through Crichton's tale, Cope and Marsh vanish, and it follows the fictional main character, Yale student William Johnson. Following an Indian attack, Johnson gets separated from the dinosaur hunters and winds up in Deadwood City, where he meets up with Wyatt Earp and deals with some unsavory types in an extended sequence that has very little to do with bone hunting or paleontology.

Crichton focused on a single bone-hunting season, 1876, and dates everything in an attempt to appear historically accurate. Ironically, he picked the one season in which Marsh chose not to go into the field, so his historical accuracy goes right out the window. He also had Cope planting a counterfeit skull for Marsh to find, though in reality, it was Marsh who planted the skull. Focusing on one season also completely avoided the greatest discoveries of both of their careers, at Como Bluff, which took place the following season. This is where the climax of "The Bone Feud" takes place.

A lot of my favorite events (Marsh's relationship with Red Cloud, for example) are little more than a historical footnote, and the critical event that incited their feud early in their relationship, Cope's unveiling of an aquatic dinosaur skeleton that Marsh noticed was assembled incorrectly, is completely ignored.

Crichton's tale is considerably darker, with very little humor. And with the exception of the fictional lead, virtually every character in the novel, especially Cope and Marsh, are rather despicable. Even Charlie Sternberg is rather bleak. While that might be historically accurate in the cases of Cope and Marsh (they were terrible human beings who both died as bitter as they had lived their lives), given the other liberties taken by the author, making them more sympathetic would have made the story a lot more enjoyable, in my opinion.

I'd probably give "Dragon Teeth" three-and-a-half stars, if that were possible, but in comparison to other Crichton novels, I can't justify giving it four. I did enjoy it, though, and I'd recommend it for people interested in the subject matter.

I have long been a Michael Crichton fan but this particular story did not come across well. I seldom do not finish a book, but this one I put away quickly with no intention of trying to read it any further.

I bought this book soon after it was released. Part of the reason is that I have a warm spot for Crichton’s other work, going back to when I was a kid. Another big part is that I was looking for color on the “Bone Wars,” the real-life rivalry between the pioneering fossil hunters Cope and Marsh in the late 1800’s. That fierce competition was nasty, personal, and often absurd, and it is the central struggle in this novel.

Within the first few chapters, I thought I could guess why this book was unpublished during Crichton’s lifetime. It is uneven and reads like an early draft. Historical figures come across as one-dimensional characters. Many of the action scenes are Wild West clichés.

But I think I found the real reason the author wasn’t ready to share it with the world –

** SPOILERS BELOW **

-- exactly halfway through this story, the paleontologist Cope discovers a dinosaur species you have certainly heard of, and the conflict for the rest of the book is the protagonist fleeing through the West, trying to keep that fossil out of the hands of Marsh and his agents. In real life though, it was Marsh who discovered and named that species, and Cope had nothing to do with it. Perhaps Crichton realized he got the history wrong, and knew that the manuscript required an overhaul. Or maybe he intended for the protagonist to lose that fossil to Marsh’s scheming in the end, but never got around to writing that into the story.

Jurassic Park is a fantastic book, a smart, well written adventure thriller packed with science so well researched that it seems incidental, with characters you remember even 20 years later. Dragon Teeth is not Jurassic Park (though from the cover art, you’re supposed to make that connection).

Dragon Teeth tells the story of a William Johnson, a Yale undergrad who, on a bet heads off to the wild west of 1875-1876 to dig fossils with Othniel Charles Marsh, a real life paleontologist and . Marsh’s expedition is set to compete with another group, headed by Edward Drinker Cope – Marsh and Cope are set up as antagonists in direct competition during an era called the “Bone Wars.” We are told how to feel about each of these characters a few times.

After reaching the edge of the west, Johnson is abandoned by Professor Marsh and group, but manages to join up the rival with Cope. Their expedition heads out into the American west in the wake of the Battle of Big Horn. Thus, as Cope and Johnson search for fossils, it’s always under the specter of rival Marsh, as well as being caught up in the Sioux Wars. The remainder of the book is sort of a western set in Deadwood, SD, and Johnson’s quest to get a load of bones safely back to the East for study.

Sadly, when Dragon Teeth fails to capture that magical quality of Crichton which could weave science into the narrative. Yes, science is sort of the basis for the plot, but it never gets past the point of. Only one sequence related the titular Dragon Teeth do we join with the characters as they imagine the size and physiology of the creature that would require such large teeth. And, no, it’s not a spoiler to tell you that it’s not a tyrannosaur. You’ll only find that on the cover.

When characters begin to discuss how publishing that fossils were pre-historic bones was controversial in the wake of the Darwin in the late 19th century, it’s never really explored for more than a paragraph. We are to assume that all humans implicitly believe that the world was the literal biblical 6000 years old (which is simply not the case, see St Augustine).. We are told repeatedly that Cope is a Quaker, but we never learn what or why that matters. (Indecently, Cope wrote a book on Theology and Evolution)

The drama is barely interesting, and limps along when it wants to be a western. Outside of Marsh and Cope, the characters are flat and unforgettable; I found myself going back only a couple pages to figure out who they were, or why they disappear. They exist to advance the plot, unconcerned with character development. Indians are “on the warpath”, members of the army are invariably drunk and in the midst of an existential crises of conscious. Women are generally invisible, weak, or prostitutes, with a few exceptions.

I understand that this is a posthumously published book. It’s not a final product. It reminds me of the first time I watched deleted scenes from Ghostbusters on DVD –I wanted them to be lost treasures which would add to a movie I loved, they were mostly scenes cut out for a reason – superfluous or not good enough for the movie.

If you want to read it as a Michael Crichton book, I recommend you avoid Dragon Teeth: go find a copy of Jurassic Park (which you'll find either in your basement or at any garage sale). It's marvelous. (Also, the 25th anniversary Audio Book read by Scott Brick is wonderful, and can pull you into the story in a whole new way). If you want to read a western, look up Ralph Cotton or Louis L’Amour.

“Hunting for bones has a peculiar fascination, not unlike hunting for gold. One never knows what one will find, and the possibilities, the potential discoveries lying in wait, fuels the quest.”

I was a fan of Michael Crichton's work when he was alive and it seems like I am still a fan of his work even though he passed away in 2008. My very favorite of his books, even more than JURASSIC PARK, is THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. It was an early catalyst to my love of post-apocalyptic fiction and books about pandemics which still is going strong today.

DRAGON TEETH is a different tale than most of Crichton's work. My understanding is that it was discovered after his death and polished up a bit and will soon be published. I really see it as a predecessor of JURASSIC PARK, showing that Crichton's interest in dinosaurs goes way back.

The story is based on fact. It tells of two rival professors that both head to the Western territories to dig for dinosaur bones. These two professors were real life people back in the mid 1800s.

The protagonist of the story, a young rich Yale student named William Johnson, is a fictional character who ends up heading west to dig for dinosaur bones to make good on a bet. It's an experience that changed his whole life.

I liked the characters. The story was not only an entertaining glimpse into the beginning of hunting for dinosaur bones but had a lot of fun glimpses into the Wild West of the 1800s.

So if you're interested in the Wild West, paleontology, quite a bit of science and history thrown in with your fiction, try out this entertaining tale about Dinosauria, or “terrible lizards.”

I received this book from Harper Collins through Edelweiss in exchange for my unbiased review.

"Unless, by some miracle, a full manuscript is found in one of Michael Crichton's old filing cabinets Pirate Latitudes is his swansong. His epitaph, like it or not, it shall remain." - my own review of Pirate Latitudes, August 2013.

It seems that I was wrong. Buried deep, deep, deep in an old closet somewhere Team Crichton have unearthed a bunch of disjointed writings and haphazardly assembled a fossilised novel with innumerable literary problems in an effort to squeeze a few more dimes out of the late author's name.

Upon looking at the cover one might think that this is a pre-cursor to Jurassic Park or perhaps something along the lines of Reign of Fire. No such luck. I don't think this novel is even sure of what it is supposed to be.

In 1876, William Johnson is a reckless rich boy at Yale with no direction in life. He makes a bet with a fellow snooty student that he is capable of spending the summer in the badlands out west digging up dinosaur bones. Quickly learning a trade as a photographer Johnson joins the digging party and prepares to get his fingers dirty. It ends up being a summer of double-crosses, murder, mass corruption, deceit, and vengeance. None of it really comes together or builds to anything.

The subplot about Wyatt Earp - hits a dead end. The two-faced Miss Emily - hits a dead end. The fate of the amusingly-named "Black" Dick Curry - never mentioned. The big reveal of the bones Johnson has fought tooth and nail to preserve - never happens. Multiple characters who have been set-up for their deserved comeuppance - goes nowhere. Believe me, this is not a very rewarding novel.

I'm a big fan of Michael Crichton but there is simply no amount of editing, revising or re-writing that can make this book publishable. It's a mess of switching narratives and poor chronology. Crichton started this novel in 1974 when he was 32. I can only assume that he knew that the story needed a serious amount of work, which is probably why he never felt inspired to go back to it.

I shouldn't even review this as a legit novel, but 2/5 is fair.

If you are looking for something like Jurassic Park, forget it. The cover art is misleading, there is no excitement in this book. If it was written by anyone else, it would never have been published. This is an amateur work that was not good enough to be published when it was written 45 years ago, and it still stinks. Someone just wanted some free money, that's why they dug this up and published this horrid story. I borrowed this from the library, so at least I only wasted time, not money. Don't waste yours.

I could hardly wait for my preordered copy of Dragon Teeth. I am a huge Michael Crichton fan. Now that I've read it, I don't know where to begin to express my disappointment. This novel couldn't have been written by MC. It's boring, the characters are lame and the pace put me to sleep.

Ahoy there mateys! This be a very fun historical fiction. I first heard about this particular novel back in October 2016. This book was discovered by Crichton’s wife in his archives and published post-humously in 2017. Most readers likely know of Crichton from his dinosaur books. Well this one has dinosaurs too! Just not in the way ye might think.

Set in 1876, this novel showcases the real-life rivalry of two fossil hunters in the Wild West. Yes cutthroat dinosaur hunters. Their names were Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. Their rivalry is known as the “Bone Wars.”

The story is told through the eyes of fictional student, William Johnson, who ends up on an expedition because of a bet. He gets way more than he bargained for when he is immersed in the rivalry of the two scientists. The hatred of the two men, the backdrop of the Sioux Wars, and William’s personal growth make for a very engaging novel.

Though the history is condensed and partially changed for the purposes of the story, the novel does a fantastic job of having exciting action while also showcasing the changing times. There are the Native Americans in the horrifying process of losing their land, the “settlers” trying to get ahead and just survive, political machinations of war, new technology, discussions of evolution, etc. mixed in with gunfights and some famous folk. As always, I love a book that makes me think and then due further research after reading. I read more about General Custer, the Sioux Wars, the Bone Wars, and two fossil hunters themselves.

If ye love Crichton’s previous works then I suggest ye pick up this western served with a side of paleontology. I very much enjoyed it. Arrrr!

Side note: I listened to the audio book and thought Scott Brick did an excellent job!

Michael Crichton (1942-2008) wrote this book in 1974, and it is one of three of his books that were published posthumously. It is his last published book. He died at age 66 of cancer.
He published his first book in 1966 as John Lange. Since then, he has been extremely successful. He published 28 fictional novels, 4 nonfictions, 10 short stories, 16 novels adapted into films, 2 novels adapted into TV series, and 3 TV series as creator or writer. He received about a dozen awards. He generally wrote action thrillers and science fiction novels. He sold over 200 million copies of his books.
Dragon Teeth is an interesting novel written in an easy to read manner. It combines fact and fiction. It is set in 1875 during the actual “Bone War,” also known as “The Great Dinosaur Rush,” which began about that time and continued to 1892. This was a period of fossil hunting in Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. The “War” was marked by the rivalry between two paleontologists (scientists concerned with fossil animals and plants) Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh. Both appear in this book. Each heads west to find fossils aided by young students. Their adventures are seen through the eyes of a fictional character, a young man, William Johnson, who had never been to the west previously, and who was very afraid of Indians who had just killed George Armstrong Custer at Little Big Horn and were on a rampage seeking revenge for mistreatment. In real life, the two rivals were successful. Cope discovered 56 new dinosaur species and Marsh 80.

Published posthumously by the author's family, DRAGON TEETH is billed as a 19th century rivalry between two pioneering paleontologists, both on the hunt for dinosaur bones in the western United States, at a time when few were brave enough to espouse the theory of evolution. This is how the novel begins. But it's just the set up. Most of the book is more of a story of the Old Wild West.

20 year old William Johnson is a wealthy, spoiled Philadelphia shipping magnate's son, attending Yale University, when bravado forces him to accept a stupid bet from a rival student. To win a thousand dollars, Johnson embarks on a summer field trip with a paleontologist and his crew and finds himself thrust into the middle of a fierce academic rivalry. Very quickly, though, the story focuses on Johnson alone, as he navigates the inhospitable Badlands, facing off against murderous indigenous tribes, local outlaws, and lawless small towns rife with gamblers, prostitutes, and rat-infested hotels. Big Surprise, huh? Wyatt Earp and his brother even make an appearance.

I won't say more for risk of spoiling the story. It's a quick read, kinda fun, but not one of Crichton's most imaginative efforts. What I found interesting was getting immersed into life in the Western states, circa 1870s, and thinking about how quickly and completely the government came to dominate the area, not necessarily for the better.

Knowing that the literary world is full of ghost writers, it’s almost unfathomable to believe that another new Michael Crichton novel has been published...nine years after his death. I read his Pirate Latitudes in 2009, one year after he died. But there was always talk about him writing a novel about pirates and since they found the completed manuscript on one of his computers...I had to reckon that it was genuine. Then another novel, Micro, was published in 2011. This novel was said to be one-third done and finished by author Richard Preston. Okay that seems plausible. Now, Dragon Teeth is published in 2017. Are there more novels to be discovered? Or is this the last one? His fifth and last wife, Sherri Crichton, says in the afterword (page 292), “Honoring Michael’s legacy has been my mission ever since he passed away. Through the creation of his archives, I quickly realized that it was possible to trace the birth of Dragon Teeth to a 1974 letter to the curator of vertebrate paleontology of the American Museum of Natural History. After reading the manuscript, I could only describe Dragon Teeth as “pure Crichton.” It has Michael’s voice, and his love of history, research, and science all dynamically woven into this epic tale.” Well, I wouldn’t call this novel epic, although I wouldn’t completely disagree with Sherri Crichton that he wrote it either, but I reserve my almost tongue-in-cheek thoughts. There are traces of the author’s genius throughout the novel and, as we all know, he is the author of Jurassic Park. I guess my major problem is trusting that the novel is 100% Crichton since nine years have passed since Michael died. Why did it take so long to publish this novel?

The novel, itself, is historical fiction delineating an episode (fictional) during the actual Bone Wars (1877-1892) between leading American paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. History will tell you that when the war was over...they were both broke and out of funds. Anyway, our protagonist (fictional) is a eighteen year old Yale college student, William Johnson. His father, Silas, is a rich Philadelphia shipbuilder. William always seems to be in trouble in school, usually because he and his arch-rival, Harold Hannibal Marlin (another rich boy), “competed in every arena-in the classroom, on the playing-field, in the undergraduate pranks of the night.” They argued incessantly, always taking the opposing view from the other. One day, William lies to Harold that he is going to go west with Professor Marsh. “I am going with Professor Marsh. He takes a group of students with him each summer.” Harold says,”What? Fat old Marsh? The bone professor?”, William says,“That’s right.” Harold says, "You’ve never laid eyes on Professor Marsh, and you’ll never go with him.” The boys bet a thousand dollars on whether he will go or will not go. Now the pressure is on William to get on the professor’s team. When William goes to see the professor, he is stunned when Marsh says, “Sorry. Too late. Positions all filled.” The professor says to William, “If you wanted to come you should have answered the advertisement last week. Everyone else did. Now we have selected everyone except-You’re not, by any chance, a photographer?” William fibs, “Yes, sir, I am! I am indeed.” The story is off and running, as William hires a local photographer to give him twenty lessons “for the outrageous sum of fifty dollars.”

The story dragged a bit at times (not typical of a Crichton novel) and had some useless paragraphs, such as, when William meets Robert Louis Stevenson on the train heading west. Stevenson tells William that he is going to California to meet the woman he loves. Historically, this is correct, but the wrong year. And why would Wyatt and Morgan Earp be active characters in this novel? And what was the brief appearance of Brigham Young all about? Even though Young has nothing to do with this novel, we find that he is a “gracious man, gentle and calculating. For forty years, the Mormons were hounded and persecuted in every state of the Union; now they make their own state, and persecute the Gentiles in turn.” Calamity Jane also makes a very brief appearance in not such a good light, “Calamity Jane was so masculine she often wore a soldier’s uniform and traveled undetected with the boys in blue, giving them service in the field (as a harlot); she had gone with Custer’s 7th Cavalry on more than one occasion.” I’m only bringing up these lowlights, because I don’t remember Crichton using these diversion tactics before. I do recommend reading this novel even though it’s not his best (if it is his...ouch).

Published nine years after his death, Dragon Teeth is not a real Michael Crichton novel. It has the linearity of plot and the shallowness of characters of a children’s book. If you have any affection for this author you would be well advised to avoid it. It might contaminate your fond memories.

Dragon Teeth is more like a western: that is, if the wild, wild, west was inundated with paleontologists trying knock off their competition. Enter main character William Johnson, a Yale student who is just trying to win a bet by becoming an intern for renowned professor and paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh. As his journey becomes more of a sprint through a battlefield than a boring dig in a relentless climate, Johnson must keep his wits and outsmart his competition.

Readers who are looking for classic Michael Crichton, with intriguing plots and technical scientific explanations will be disappointed with Dragon Teeth. This book is not even close to the same caliber as this renowned author's works prior to his death. I had a glimmer of hope that Johnson's character was going to be interesting, but his constant bungling despite his high class education just did not seem to be realistic. I understand this behavior when Johnson is out of his element, but using his brain and wits to get himself out of trouble should have persisted all the way through. Dragon Teeth is not a book that I would recommend to my fellow readers, despite the fact that it was well narrated.

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton is a highly recommended historical adventure novel.

Let me preface this review with a few comments. As most people know Crichton passed away in 2008 and the books published since then have been from manuscripts found by his wife Sherry. Dragon Teeth is an early manuscript; purportedly research on it began in 1974. Longtime fans of Crichton's work will recognize in the style a resemblance to several of his earlier novels. That fact doesn't diminish this novel, but Dragon Teeth is neither a Jurassic Park story nor a prequel. What it does do is affirm that Crichton's fascination with dinosaurs, fossils, and paleontology began long before the Jurassic Park novels were written.

Dragon Teeth is set in 1876. At this time there was war in the west between Native American tribes and the US, a gold rush in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and legends of the Wild West were alive. It was also the time of the "Bone Wars," a nickname given to the bitter rivalry between paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edwin Drinker Cope. The narrative follows William Johnson, an entitled Yale student who made a bet with a rival that he would go west to dig for dinosaur bones. He learns photography so he has a skill that enables him to join Marsh's expedition. Marsh, however is a paranoid man and ends up abandoning Johnson in Cheyenne, Wyoming. At that point Johnson joins Cope's group, who are heading west to the Montana badlands to dig for fossils. They make an incredible find, but unforeseen circumstances separate the exhibition members, resulting in getting half of the bones back east to become solely Johnson's dangerous quest.

William Johnson is a fictitious character, but the novel is populated with many other recognizable historical figures, places, and events. Dragon Teeth is a western more than anything else, but it demonstrates the research Crichton undertook for his novels. This is a nice combination of historical fact and fiction that showcases Crichton's ability to take facts, science, and history and mold it into an entertaining story.

While Dragon Teeth doesn't have the high level of exceptionally-fast-paced-heart-stopping action that is displayed in many of his books, this is still a very entertaining story that will hold your attention from beginning to end. I do wonder, however, if it was set aside and not published earlier because Crichton wasn't satisfied with it. It is not as good as many of his novels. But, setting that aside, fans will be pleased with it and easily place Dragon Teeth in context as an early example of his body of work. As a long-time fan, I love Crichton's books, but... a gentle suggestion to his estate: I think it might be time to close the vault on things he wrote but didn't publish.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins.

This novel was released after Crichton's death, and it should have remained unpublished. There is potential here for an excellent story, but Dragon Teeth as released seems to be a very rough early draft.

William Johnson, a fictional character, is attending Yale just after the Civil War. Because of an impetuous bet with a fellow student, he volunteers to join an expedition to the Wild West with one of his professors and becomes embroiled in the bitter rivalry between real-life fossil hunters Marsh and Cope. Johnson, in the capacity of photographer, forms part of the team that heads to the Badlands of Montana and eventually discovers the bones of dinosaurs that had never before been seen by humans. To excavate these bones and get them back East, the team endures Indian attacks, a buffalo stampede, treacherous weather, thirst and hunger and a myriad other dangers and hardships. Along the way they interact with famous western legends such as Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp and others.

These passages of the book are pretty interesting, but only take up about 25%. The remainder of the book is mostly a monotonous account of the dinosaur bones and their whereabouts at any given time. Packing the bones into boxes, loading these boxes onto wagons, unloading the boxes, moving the boxes into a room, guarding the boxes, moving the boxes out of that room and into another room, loading the boxes onto another wagon and moving them to another location, burying the boxes, digging the boxes back up again and loading them onto a different wagon, them moving them to another room...etc. ad nauseam. It became almost comical. ("Seriously? He's going to move those freaking boxes AGAIN?)

So, if you would find it riveting to read about the difficulty of transporting 10 heavy boxes from Montana to Philadelphia in the 1870's, this book is for you. If not, you could probably skip it.

It has literally been over a decade since I read a Michael Crichton book (pretty much because he died in 2008), but I couldn't resist Dragon Teeth once I saw the cover. Another Crichton novel about dinosaurs? Count me in!

Unlike Crichton's other dinosaur novels (Jurassic Park and The Lost World), Dragon Teeth takes place in 1876, primarly in the South Dakota Badlands. Two rival professors of paleontology are in a race to discover the newest, most impressive dinosaur fossils. Each of them has brought a team of young, adventurous students with them into the Badlands to help with the digging. Our narrator, William Johnson, is one of those students. Johnson signs on with Professor Othniel March's team of students on a dare. Once he's hired as the official trip photographer, Johnson must contend with professional egos, outlaws, and members of the warring Sioux tribes as he spends a long summer in the Wild West.

The story is very action-oriented, and it's a quick read. Like with most of Crichton's books, there's a lot of factual information included in the novel. Johnson (who is a fictional character) crosses paths when many real-life figures, including both bone-crazy professors, several military figures, and a number of outlaws who populate Deadwood Gulch. However, facts are light and characters are thin in this novel, especially when compared with some of Crichton's better known novels.

According to the notes at the end of the book, this novel was largely written by Crichton many years before his untimely death, but remained unpublished until 2017. And overall, it's not one of my favorite Crichton books. However, it's worth the read if you are a fan of Crichton's work.

Dragon Teeth

The posthumous release of Michael Crichton’s Dragon Teeth is decent light hearted fiction. If one reads volumes, every once in a while you need something to peruse in which you don’t have to think too hard. Dragon Teeth is one of those types of reads. I procured my copy for a buck at the annual library book sale, so my investment was really the time spent reading.

Having read Crichton’s Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park which I liked, and a number of his books for which I did not care, Dragon Teeth falls about in the middle. The book is written in linear fashion, but at times the words/style seem to shift as if another person is writing, which is very possible. Suffice it to say, the characters are fairly well developed, the plot is decent, and the story picks up steam as it moves along.

The book is fiction, with a number of genuine historical characters. There exist both real and historic value, ie one can learn a few things from the book, but as I was about finished, and feeling better about the book, I espied the ‘nugget’ on the last page of text that the Eohippus was a small Cretaceous horse. The Eohippus/Hyracotherium, a product of the Eocene, didn’t appear until five million years after the end of the Cretaceous. I would find it difficult to believe that Crichton would make this blunder, as insignificant as it might be, and proof that someone else took his notes for Dragon Teeth, and completed the novel.

I've always enjoyed Michael Crichton's novels, so discovering a "new" story by this author who has been dead for several years got my attention. However, as we've learned from other stories pulled out of the trunks of dead authors (e.g., Harper Lee), sometimes those stories were tucked away out of sight for a good reason. So the question arises: is there a good reason Crichton did not publish Dragon Teeth during his lifetime? Is this another dud?

I'm sure Michael Crichton had a good reason for keeping this MS in a trunk, but whatever those reasons may have been, it wasn't because it's a bad book. On the contrary, it's a good story, well told, even if it's not quite as gripping as the thrillers for which he became famous.

In a "typical" Crichton novel, there's a looming crisis that threatens the world, or some substantial part of it -- these are "high concept" tales. Dragon Teeth, however, is a more personal story that plays out against some fascinating historical background, and involves some colorful historical characters. The fictional protagonist, William Johnson, is the spoiled son of a wealthy industrialist who during a college break in 1876, "goes West" because he lost a bet with a classmate. He signs on with an expedition headed by Othniel Charles Marsh, one of the two most high profile protagonists of the "Bone Wars," a competition cum feud between Marsh and another paleontologist, Edward Drinker Cope, who are raiding the Western wilderness for dinosaur fossils. When Marsh begins to suspect that young Johnson is really a spy for his arch-nemesis cope, things begin to take interesting and challenging turns for Johnson. By the end of the story, he has survived famine, fire, wild Indians, U. S. cavalry attacks, and gun-slinging thugs of the Wild West.

The story is full of colorful, real-life characters of history, but the focus is on the fictional protagonist and his personal struggles. This conceited young city slicker will travel to hell and back, and develop some interesting scars along the way, before he returns to his home in Philadelphia or his dorm at Yale College. This is a rip-roaring tale, but it is not the kind of thriller many Crichton fans crave, so some may be disappointed. The fact that the book cover features a gigantic dinosaur skeleton that will remind many of Crichton's Jurassic Park may mislead some eager readers looking for a "prequel" to Jurassic Park. But no, the long-dead dinos in this story remain very dead indeed.

This book was as thoroughly researched as anything Crichton ever wrote, and there is a sizable bibliography to prove it. Many of the historic events have been somewhat fictionalized, however, to allow the author to create a more colorful tale for the protagonist. (Compare, for instance, to the real-life account by Charles H. Sternberg in his "Life of a Fossil Hunter." Sternberg is also a character in this novel.) Crichton's widow says the the research Crichton did for this novel probably provided the first germ of an idea for Jurassic Park, which he wrote many years later.

The only reason I rate this book 4 stars instead of 5 is that, in my heart of hearts, I really would have loved for it to be the kind of thriller that made Michael Crichton a #1 bestseller. But I'm happy to settle for this rip-roaring tale of adventure in the untamed American West.

Michael Crichton novels comprised my childhood, and as an adult I always found time to still read his new releases (including those released posthumously). Dragon Teeth, maybe the final Crichton novel we'll see, is my favorite Crichton novel ever released. An 1870s Old West thriller about the early days of paleontology (and the discovery of the mighty Brontosaurus) and the history of the American West. I live right near the border of Wyoming and South Dakota and this novel was loaded with places I visit all the time and with people that I've heard stories of since I was small. The fact that the novel featured a shootout at Sand Creek, my favorite trout-fishing spot in the Black Hills, was an extra special treat.
I've seen people complain that Dragon Teeth begins slowly. I can assure, that is not the case. At the beginning of the novel, Crichton builds the suspense of an imminent expedition away from the comforts of the East to the unknown dangers of the American West. The beginning character development and background and expedition-planning is essential to the novel and lets the reader become much more invested in the characters and the story. Dragon Teeth was paced like most of Crichton's other novels, and I still marvel all these years later at how the author could so perfectly pace a novel. He was a master of he modern American thriller novel.
Simply put, Dragon Teeth is Crichton at his best.

There's a special place in my heart for Michael Crichton. First, he is arguably the most famous person who ever graduated from my high school (with Sheila MacRae being a distant second, assuming you even know who she is). Second, I suspect he was a true genius/polymath. Third, he was a great writer -- perhaps not of great literature, but if you wanted to sit down and read a book that would keep you up all night, he was the unquestioned master. I remember picking up Jurassic Park at a point in my life when I was very upset and couldn't read (or do) anything other than fret about where my life was going. However, once I sat down to read it I couldn't put it down, and it was literally the only thing that distracted me from my self-imposed unhappiness.

In other words, I know Michael Crichton, and perhaps through my sister (who was one year after him in high school) I could even say he was a friend of "ours". Alas, this no Michael Crichton. The book is flat and predictable and offers zero suspense. Oh, it's a fun read -- hence the three-star/OK rating -- but the tension and excitement, much less anything akin to terror, just aren't there. This one should have stayed in the box in which apparently it was found.

I enjoyed every page of this book. The cover is a little misleading by being so similar to the cover of “Jurassic Park” (Jurassic Park: A Novel ). But there are not live dinosaurs here. The book is about paleontologists collecting dinosaurs’ fossils in the 19-th century USA.
The adventurous plot is commingled with description of wild west that is very different from those in most books, and probably truer. The Indian wars, the gold rush, the new railways and fresh pioneer’s settlements, the novel idea of evolution, nuances of college life and scientific discoveries, the way of living and reasoning of people - it is all there and it is difficult to believe that it was happening only 150 years ago.
To those who like Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City: A Saga of Magic and Murder at the Fair that Changed America) books I would described this book as the Larson-lite. To those who liked Deadwood movies ( Deadwood: The Complete Series (BD) [Blu-ray] ) I would advertise that part of the action takes place in Deadwood.
To everybody else I would just say that reading this book is a delightful experience and an adventure in history.

Dragon Teeth is a posthumously published work of historical fiction from 1974. William Johnson is a student from Yale who heads West one summer on a bet. He hooks up with a paleontologist, Charles Marsh, headed out on a fossil hunting trip. He soon gets pulled into the real-life feud between Marsh and Edward Cope, the other leading paleontologist of the time. Out West, Johnson must overcome Indians, outlaws, and the Badlands, eventually winding up in Deadwood. This is very much a coming of age story for the young directionless Johnson. Once in Deadwood, he finds it impossible to leave and impossible to stay. Now he must figure out how to get out of Deadwood with his crates of fossils before he's waylaid by criminals or fossil hunters.

The Good: I loved the amount of historical fiction in the book and real-life characters Johnson comes across.

The Bad: This one takes a while to get started. There's not much characterization for the first half of the book and almost reads like a historical record.

The Ugly: Johnson meets an incredible number of scoundrels and reprobates as he treks the lawless West.

Received an advance copy from Harper and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Do you love Crichton for his edge of technology writing? His living on the edge of what might be?

Then don't read this.

If you like his fast paced writing style, a good story, and historical fiction? Then, yeah, read this.

This story is set in the 1870s following fossil hunters. It takes much inspiration from historical figure and events. Most of the main characters are real life people and the events actually took place. Crichton creates a character named Johnson who interacts with the real life characters and events.

We are taken from Yale on the east coast, on a trek into the west shortly after Custers last stand and the on going Indian war. Johnson gets attacked by Indians and ends up in Deadwood, just missing the assassination of Wild Bill Hickock and eventually meeting up with the Earp brothers. It is a well crafted tale that holds your interest thru treachery, villains and lies.

After reading his posthumous novel Micro, one of the worst books I ever read, I was leery of another "found manuscript", but I was pleasantly surprised with this effort.

Sometimes a great Western is written by someone who usually doesn't write Westerns. What comes to mind is "Cimarron" by Edna Ferber or "Breakheart Pass" by Alistair MacLean. Add "Dragon Teeth" by Michael Crichton to that list. This is a great Western. We have two rival fossil hunters in the American West, along with a buffalo stampede, gunfights, and even Wyatt Earp. A thrill on every page. This just proves what a great writer Mr. Crichton was. Many thanks to Michael's widow and son for bringing us this jewel.

It is 1876 and William Johnson, a young, wealthy and somewhat indolent Yale student who is always boasting about his mostly fictional exploits is bet that he can’t get a position on Othniel Marsh’s annual fossil hunt to the western territories. Surprisingly he succeeds but what was hopefully going to be just an exciting undergraduate adventure, not to mention the satisfying besting of a hated classmate, quickly turns much more dangerous than Johnson could have imagined. For one thing Marsh in convinced that Johnson is a spy for Edward Cope, his despised rival. For another, Custer’s disastrous Battle of the Little Bighorn has left the western territories in constant turmoil.

Dragon Teeth was a manuscript by Michael Crichton written in the 1970s and discovered posthumously. It is an early historical thriller written around the very real feud between Marsh and Cope, rival paleontologists of the 19th century. Johnson is a fictional but interesting character. For the most part, I enjoyed this book. However, it felt like Crichton had begun to edit the novel but abandoned it about half way through. As a result, the first half feels polished but the second half feels much less so. Still, it’s a compelling tale and should satisfy Crichton’s fans.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Worth the read but not up to normal Chrichton standards. Characters were superficial, and the dialogue was forced. Most of all, the book lacked the scientific detail and the in-depth background material that normally characterize a Chrichton novel (e.g., State of Fear, etc.). I am a huge Chrichton fan, but this one left me disappointed.

I too must add my comment to the many other 2 and l star reviews. I've read over one dozen of Crichton's novels and enormously enjoyed almost all of them. This one is an unfinished manuscript which as his widow writes in her afterword, she apparently helped put together from the manuscript and notes (with possibly some "helpful" additions by her.) In short this novel falls way, way short of a Crichton novel. It is slow, boring, and written in a style more fitting to the "young readers" section...in other words, for adolescents. It is a sort of western adventure story with no science to speak of and rather cardboardish characterizations. It's better than a l-star book---but not much.

How refreshing to read a thriller without the excessive gore, foul language, and thinly disguised porn. Crichton is in top form in this one, a story based on real-life adventures into the Badlands of Montana and the Dakotas by two paleontologists in the late 1800s. Marsh and Cope were historical figures who made great fossil discoveries, including the first brontosaurus, but whose lives were marred by their vicious competition and slanderous attacks on each other.

The protagonist in this tale is William Johnson, a fictitious student at Yale, who begins as a dissolute layabout of questionable character. He makes an unwise bet with a rival student and then must follow through by accompanying Marsh on his summer expedition west. Needless to say, the trip is filled with excitement and surprises. Crichton is at his best when he combines history, science, and good story-telling. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The adventures of this book's fictional hero, William Johnson, are tremendously entertaining but wildly implausible. The crazy pace and wild events are so much fun that it is almost impossible to put the book down. It is a great read! Also, if you would like some historical background on the real life feud between Cope and Marsh, I would recommend the PBS American Experience program, Dinosaur Wars, which is available through the store. I also hope Crichton's blockbuster of a book leads to new documentaries on the "Great Bone War" between Cope and Marsh, which is both interesting and tragic since they would have been so much more productive if they had not been so consumed by hatred for each other. Michael, you are missed, and thank you to your family for discovering this manuscript and presenting it to us. American Experience: Dinosaur Wars

If Crichton had lived long enough to revise this outline it could have been turned into an interesting book that, like his other works, combines a scientific/science fiction idea with a real world setting. Unfortunately, this story is weighed down with dialogue and the story of paleontology gets left behind as it turns into a typical "western" tale with nothing really new to offer.

As some other readers have remarked, this isn’t one of Crichton’s better books. I am not surprised that he wrote it early on (the pace is slow for about 2/3 of the book, and the writing a bit amateurish) and never published it.
I am surprised at the glowing reviews of readers, and even more of newspaper reviewers. Surely so many of Crichton’s books are far better. They are usually fast paced, very suspenseful, and often humorous. They are also very original, whereas this one is definitely not. Except for the more or less historical beginning, it is just another so-so western novel.

I liked it. I was really surprised how fast I made it through this book. Being my first Crichton novel, I was expecting a lot more exposition devoted to the science and history behind everything. That sort of thing does exist in this novel, but they are few and far between and aren't wordy. This largely sticks to the main story of two rival paleontologists going west to find dinosaur bones and the student who gets caught up in their ridiculous bickering. Part Indiana Jones, part old Western by way of Deadwood (for they spend a good amount of time in Deadwood hanging out with Wyatt Earp.) As stated at the end of the novel, this would help act as the foundation for "that other dinosaur story" he would eventually write.

Michael Crichton's "Dragon Teeth" is a quick and fun read. A great cast of characters, a fairly predictable though intriguing plot, and lots of real history thrown into the mix makes this a wonderful read for the summer. As I glided through the book I was reminded of Crichton's "The Great Train Robbery", and of course "Jurassic Park". Crichton's love of adventure and dinosaurs combined with a nice blend of humor here and there, keep the reader both involved and amused throughout. Throw in the danger of the American West of the 1870's, Indian war parties, Wyatt and Morgan Earp and the lawlessness of Deadwood, and "Dragon Teeth" is hard to resist. This book will assuredly be coming to theaters in the near future. Truly enjoyable.

It felt like it had not been actually written by Crichton.

There was little to no trace of his easily identifiable style, except in the couple of "what happened to them" pages at the end. It read more like Micro which also had extremely little Crichton in it (or so it felt).

Over all, the first half was quite slow and plodding and devoid of the underlying themes that are present in most if not all of Crichton's other book. The second half is more like an adventure/Western tale and as such is enjoyable.

I was also a bit annoyed by the notes which said that it was a project Crichton cared a lot about when nobody knew about it. Had he cared about it that much, it wouldn't have been "discovered" and he would have had it published.

Overall the project felt like it was put together from a few scattered notes Crichton did before deciding to go in another direction with dinosaurs.

Sometime after Michael Crichton’s 2008 death, his wife found an unfinished manuscript that the author worked on for about fifteen years. Readers and fans who miss Crichton will be those most interested in reading the novel titled, Dragon Teeth. Set in the late nineteenth century, the story is a fictional account of the real rivalry between two paleontologists of the time: Othniel Charles Marsh and Edwin Drinker Cope. Protagonist William Johnson is a student who worked for both paleontologists, and Crichton’s story of a fossil hunt includes a cast of familiar characters of the Wild West of that time, especially in the town of Deadwood.

Rating: Four-star (I like it)

When I heard one last thriller book was coming from Crichton it felt like we had won the literary lottery. Unfortunately, while a good read, it wasn't exactly what this Crichton fan was looking for.

The science aspect that I always found to be the hook of a great Crichton novel was just not there. Even though the book takes place in the 1800s I kept holding out hope that the signature Crichton moment would drop and change the whole story for the better. While a good Western story (which I am not typically into otherwise) with a few moments 2/3s of the way through that created some excitement, it was not near the thriller I was hoping for during Michael's pinnacle of his career. I would recommend it as a quick read to his fans, but don't get your hopes up too high, we lost a literary master.

Started reading this novel this afternoon and am approx 1/4 of the way through. I don't think I'm going to finish it. You know that feeling you get when a book you've been waiting for arrives and you clear a few hours, sit down and, with great anticipation, turn the first page? Yeah, Well that feeling disappeared rather quickly. No disrespect to MC or his estate, but I'm so disappointed. I haven't yet met one character who is likable or even relatable. The journey across the US is one I've read so many times before. This novel is not at all what I was expecting and the title and cover art should be changed to reflect what's actually inside. There is a reason it was left unpublished.

Michael Crichton casts his imaginative free reign towards the uncharted western territory of the United States during 1876. Two rivaled Professors of Paleontology form separate expeditions to venture forth into unknown jeopardy that comprises of savage Indian tribes who claim the raw land as their home. Crichton applies his familiar fictional brilliance to Dragon Teeth, as well as sprinkling historical facts taken from some of the more famous people and westward explorations during the 1870's. This unique novel structures its chapters cliffhanger style into a steady unpredictable adventure that only the ingenious Michael Crichton is capable of conjuring up.

This may be the best novel the Crichton ever wrote. Unlike others that dealt with science fiction and moved past the believable, this book read like a historical novel and was imminently believable from beginning to end, with no stupid mistakes (as in Jurassic Park) to destroy the illusion. Action, trust, betrayal and suspense all present in the right dosages. As an epilogue3, he explains where and why he deviated from historical truth, but none of it was obvious while reading.

I have read almost every Crichton story and this was definitely a favorite in no small part because I am a history teacher! This story masterfully combines American History and paleontology into a completely believable story of the wild west. Based on the true relationship of two paleontologists (Edward Cope and Othniel Marsh), the book highlights the enmity and fierce competition experienced by both men. Most of the events of the novel really occurred in 1876 and Crichton expertly wove this history into the account of a fictional Yale college student heading west on a dare. When William Johnson joins the expedition to search for fossils, he has no idea of how the journey will go. Johnson survives attacks by Indians, lawlessness in Deadwood and a journey with Wyatt Earp to Cheyenne, all because of ten crates of bones. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it, especially to history lovers such as myself.

This was a very fun book. Great story, fun action, interesting history. Everything you come to expect from Michael Crichton. I liked that this one was historical fiction, rather than contemporary speculative fiction. The characters are likeable and the story is engaging. My one problem is that it feels a little incomplete. It makes sense because he wrote it like 30 years ago and shelved it without publishing. There are just parts that seem like placeholders he meant to flesh them out later if he decided to really finish it. Things being what they are, it's good how it is. Read it and enjoy just a little more Crichton!

A fictionalized account of a trip by a professor and his group of students out west during the late 1800’s to search for dinosaur bones. The trip was narrated by William Johnson, a pampered young man from Philadelphia, who took the trip on a bet and had no idea what he was getting himself into. He started the trip as a photographer with Professor Othniel Charles Marsh and ended up with Professor Edward Drinker Cope. These men were bitter enemies and had spies in each other’s camps. Johnson started the trip as a wide-eyed young man looking for adventure and returned a hardened man who had seen the worst of men and survived.

I can't believe it took me this long to read a Michael Crichton Novel! I've been an avid reader for most of my life but I dismissed Michael Crichton as just another "pop thriller writer" my mom would read when I was growing up in the late 80s/90s. On a whim, I bought Dragon's Teeth. I like western stories and I was going on a long flight out of state so I figured, what the heck, give it a try. I ate this book up! I couldn't put it down. The scientific twist a classic western story plot really gives this tale something special. I've read several Crichton novels in the past few months and have not been disappointed. They all seem to have a technical flare to them, that really gives authenticity to the story lines. I highly recommend Dragon's Teeth!

The late Michael Crichton was one of the most prolific and entertaining writers of the 20th century. He remains the only writer to have the #1 book (Disclosure), #1 movie (Jurassic Park), and #1 TV show (ER) in the same year (1994). After Crichton's death in 2008, his wife discovered an unpublished novel among his papers: Dragon Teeth.

In a way, Dragon Teeth doesn't fit with the bulk of Crichton's work. Set in 1876, Crichton centers the story around the famous "Bone Wars" between paleontologists Othniel Marsh and Edwin Cope. A Yale freshman, William Johnson, sets out with Marsh to experience the West. He accompanies Marsh on a summer expedition to dig dinosaur bones. After Marsh abandons him en route, Johnson falls in with Cope, and experiences first-hand the bitter rivalry between the two fossil hunters. The conflict and some of the events Crichton depicts are real; Johnson and his adventures are fictional.

Johnson, an heir to a Philadelphia family fortune, is out of place in the rough and tumble world of dinosaur bone hunting. But throw in some Indian attacks, gunfights in Deadwood, ambushes along the trail, and buddying up with the famous gunfighter Wyatt Earp, Johnson is a changed man. While the setting seems out of character for Crichton (actually, The Great Train Robbery was an early bestseller for him . . .), the story is familiar: a team sets out on a scientific expedition, things go terribly wrong, a few people die, and the hero has to rely on new-found skills to survive and protect the scientific discoveries.

Dragon Teeth was a real pleasure to read. Crichton ratchets up the interest level to a high point, then maintains it to a satisfying conclusion. The blending of real characters, places, and events with fictional characters keeps things interesting. It's too real to be totally made up, but not so wacky that it couldn't have been real. For Crichton fans, this is a must-read, but any reader looking for a fun story will enjoy Dragon Teeth.

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

I am impressed with the work ethic of authors whose names continue to appear on published works long after their deaths. There are no small type co-authors listed on this one, but it doesn't sound like any of Chrichton's prior work. Further, the Dragon Teeth story doesn't compare with the prior works.. it's just not what we came to expect from him. Weak story. Weak on the paleontology parts... and science was Chrichton's strength. If any more lost works bearing his name appear, I'll avoid them.

A first glance at the print version of this book raises some red flags. There is a lot of blank space -- too much for an astonishing list price. There are also several "explanation" sections. All indicators of a story thin on substance.

The first half of the book is an interesting snapshot of the westward expansion of the late 1800s, but the story bogged down in the middle and rather haphazardly lurched to a hurried conclusion. Story would have been much improved by delving further into the Cope/Marsh rivalry. More plot and character development in the Deadwood portion of the book would have redeemed it. Merely including the Earp brothers as incidental characters seems superfluous. More indications of a story thin on substance.

The book is disappointing to this Michael Crichton fan. Was the novel merely a draft at his death? Subsequently fleshed out by other less talented writers?

I enjoyed reading this and it spurred me to do some additional research about early archaeological digs in our Western region. However I found the characterization thin and the depth of the science not at the level I had found in past Crichton novels. This has lead me to believe this novel was unfinished and was heavily edited so that it could come to market.
I also thought the introduction of historical characters like Buffalo Bill was a bit too cute and too contrived.

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton is a book of Crichton's I didn't like. I have read all of his and loved them all but this was so un-Crichton. It lacked the spark, the thrills, the adventure that kept me glued to the others. I was bored to tears and forced myself to finish it. I got this book from the library and noticed the total ratings on it was only 3 stars and wondered why, now I know.

Loved loved loved this book on CD. This is a great story ... and based on true events. Bought this one as an “optional” listen with another story for our road trip. Thought the other story would be the better choice. I have told more people about this story, because it’s incredibly engaging. Made the miles fly by...and since we were driving through the area that the story takes place, it was even more fun.

I am a huge Crichton fan and every previous book I read written by him was great this one was merely OK. I read a lot of historical fiction and I really enjoy the genre but this was an odd mixture of historical characters and events woven together with fictional people and things. It was too ambiguous. The main issue for me was that it was just not a compelling or interesting story. Like a long story that someone tells you that has great potential but in the end just tells you what happened without excitement, intrigue or anticipation. I know a few more basic true facts having read this book but I did not especially enjoy this book and feel like it was not the best use of my reading time. In short, a disappointment.

One of Crichton's shorter books, but definitely interesting. Anyone who has ever watched a dinosaur documentary knows of the bone wars of cope/marsh in the 1800's. This book expands on that with a firm grasp of history (embellished for drama, of course), with the protagonist involved in many historical Wild West events during the course of the summer of 1876.

While not the thriller of Jurassic Park or Timeline, this book is more of the psychological drama, such as Airframe and Disclosure.

Well it certainly wasn’t written by Michael Crichton. Evidently the basic idea was his and very possibly some of the research was his. However, his fluid, interesting and overall excellent writing was not there. No offense

This is an easy read and has some fun moments but it doesn't begin to approach the standard that Mr. Crichton himself set for this genre. There are a few good plot twists and a couple of surprises, like I said, it's an easy read.

The Cool Kids Book Club (CKBC) gives Dragon Teeth 2 1/2 out of 5 stars. This was Ben's selection for the club (full disclosure Ben believed that the paleontologists were going to discover actual Dragon teeth and was surprised that they just found Dinosaur fossils). This book was fairly entertaining, but it is clearly an unfinished/ unpolished work published after the author's death. The club agrees that the most interesting part of the book is the main character's adventures in Deadwood. All of the real life historical characters that pop up in the novel seem forced and make the novel less realistic. This book is not memorable in any way, and leaves the reader less than satisfied.

What a fabulous story! It's the fictionalized account of the expedition to the Wild West of two real-life fossil hunting researchers, through the eyes of one wealthy, indolent college student who, because of a wager, accompanies one of the men. Attacked by Indians, gunmen, cons, and inept lawmen, William Johnson manages to survive it all. This manuscript was unpublished at the time of Michael Crichton's death. I'm so glad his widow, son, and publishing team brought it to life for us.

It is really good to read another Crichton novel. Dragon Teeth is a historical novel that is mixed with certain facts, some fiction and Crichton's great storytelling. It is an enjoyable read and provides the reader with credible facts surrounding dinosaurs roaming our earth. Dragon Teeth is another great ride as the protagonist, William Johnson can attest. Crichton has Wyatt Earp join the fray with the young student William Johnson, and as he always does, Crichton provides the reader with a backstory to the fossil wars of professors Marsh and Cope, the wars with the American Indians, the Wild Wild West, the Gold Rush, and Custer's Last Stand. The late Mr. Crichton has blessed us with historical novels and he again in Dragon Teeth, along with the personal diary of young Johnson, takes us on a fun ride in search of reptiles that lived on Earth millions of years ago.