Shaman: A novel of the Ice Age

I have had a lifelong interest in pre-history. I got out my book "Dawn of Art: The Chauvet Cave" by the original discoverers and found the paintings described in Shaman. Between the two books, I was transported back 30,000 years

The author does a wonderful job putting you back in what I would have thought to be an unimaginable time, making it easy to see the roots of how human beings evolved into the beings we are today, good and bad.

This book opens the minds eye to what our primitive ancestors world was like, without senseless violence or an unnecessary complicated plot. While reading you can see the primitive world vividly in full HD color. Great book.

My only criticism, if it IS a criticism , is that I felt like I was back in the world of Earth's Children, Jean Auel's classic series, with new characters. The story is exciting, characters well drawn and ir has the feeling of thorough research on the paleolithic before beginning the tale. Fact: I've never read a Kim Stanley Robinson story that I didn't like.

The only difference is now a person's memories can outlast their lifespan. This was one of the best books I read in 2013. Robinson paints a gorgeous picture of life at the end of the last Ice Age. At first, due to the initial 80 pages or so addressing a rite of passage into manhood, I thought this book was about what it means to be a man. However, that wasn't the case at all. It's about what it means to be a human being. Loon isn't an exceptional person. He's just an average person. But an average person can still leave a mark on history. Loon leaves his beautiful, albeit anonymous, mark on the cave walls of humanity.

I've read and enjoyed all of Kim Stanley Robinson's science fiction books. This is a different category. It's so detailed and like one long thought from beginning to end. And interspersed with the narration of the third wind. The life of people living as our ancestors must have lived, vividly portrayed. I highly recommend this book.

Shaman perhaps isn't a novel in the traditional sense, unless one counts the constant struggle for survival as the overarching plotline, but the evolution of the main character, Loon, speaks to man's deep desire to be part and parcel of the world, to leave a mark of our passage.

This is a rather dense exposition on Robinson's ideas of how life might have been in the last Ice Age Europe. I think the research was sketchy. This might have been good as a novella but not a massive novel.

This is the first Kim Stanley Robinson book I have read and ordered it after hearing an interview on NPR. It sounded fascinating and I was eager to read it. Honestly, it was just OK. I have read other books in this genre that are better. However, his reputation is such that I have purchased others by him and they will probably change my impression.

This is the first Kim Stanley Robinson book I have read and ordered it after hearing an interview on NPR. It sounded fascinating and I was eager to read it. Honestly, it was just OK. I have read other books in this genre that are better. However, his reputation is such that I have purchased others by him and they will probably change my impression.

Had high hopes on this one.. Started and stopped about three times until I forced myself to slog through it hoping it would get better in a very long flight.. Just not good.. Boring, flat characters hard to care about .. Random.. Not good

Boring story, couldn't even finish it. Lots of made up slang and "caveman" dialog. Doesn't challenge the reader or tell a good enough story to hold his attention. Characters are shallow and uninteresting and the story line is almost non existent.

What a nourishing, satisfying read! This is K S R back on form again, with a beautiful tale of the years after Eden, when people were finding out what it is to live on this world. A simple tale with huge depth: funny, beautiful, sad and inspiring.

After hearing a spectacular review of this book on NPR, I downloaded this book to my Ipad, really looking forward to a rich experience. It seemed poorly researched, with a mediocre story line and the use of the language simply didn't fit the timeline. The mix of animals represented in the story, along with other humanoids made no sense.
This was my first, and last book by this author.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

Kim Stanley Robinson Is one of America's best living writer. This tale of American Indian was well written but not very entertaining. His main strength has always been blending science with developed personalities. He did neither in this book.

Kim Stanley Robinson is full of ideas. The danger in a KSR novel is that he will develop his ideas with enthusiasm while relegating the plot and characters to the status of afterthoughts. When -- as in Shaman -- KSR decides to tell a story rather than disguising a series of essays as a work of fiction, he is a talented writer. In Shaman, KSR avoids pedantic lectures while achieving a blend of humor and poignancy in a solid, enjoyable novel.

In a departure from the work for which KSR is best known, Shaman looks at the past rather than the future, probing prehistoric characters to reveal the essential and enduring features of humanity. The novel begins with a rite of passage as adolescent Loon, sent naked into the woods on the night of the new moon, begins a wander from which he must not return until the full moon rises. Loon eventually ingests some mushrooms to induce a vision, a necessary step if he is to follow Thorn's teachings and become a shaman. Raised by Heather and Thorn after his parents died, Loon is restless (and like all young men, hormone-driven). He is an unwilling apprentice with little interest in becoming a shaman, although he admires Thorn's cave paintings. Thorn teaches him songs and poems that recall the past but Loon is focused on the future. He looks forward to the pack's summer trek and the festival at which a score of packs gather, in part because it provides his only opportunity to meet new girls.

The plot meanders a bit but it is largely the story of Loon's young life, and since lives meander, it isn't surprising that the plot does. At the novel's midway point, however, a story breaks loose when someone close to Loon disappears, sending Loon on a search to distant northern lands. At some point the story becomes one of hunter and prey; at another point it is a tale of wilderness survival. It's a good (but not a great) coming-of-age story that offers few surprises. Character development is strong and the plot is credible. To create an interesting change of pace, KSR occasionally departs from the main characters to focus on an outsider. Now and then KSR gives us an anthropomorphic look at the world through the eyes of a cat or a wolverine.

Robinson leaves it to the reader to give meaning to the poems of the past, a refreshing change from novels in which he spells out the past and present in excruciating detail. That's not to say that Shaman lacks detail. Robinson is known for his world-building, and his ability to create an imagined Earth of the distant past is just as impressive as his construction of an inhabited Mars of the relatively near future. This is a familiar world of rivers and onions and pine needles, a world abundantly populated by ravens and trout, lions and bears, all having symbolic significance to the tribal people who share the land with them. It is in fact the people -- their social organizations, customs, behaviors, and folklore, the hardship of survival and the joy of friendship -- that make Shaman memorable. From mating to domestic discord, behavior is recognizable, but dissimilar enough to be a convincing account of a distant time. The differences between northern and southern tribal peoples are akin to differing political philosophies: competition versus cooperation (perhaps the forerunners of capitalism versus socialism). Like all of KSR's work, Shaman is a book of ideas, here drawn from anthropology, sociology, ecology, and economics. Unlike some of KSR's novels, however, the ideas are expressed with subtlety, are carefully integrated into the story, and never get in the way of the plot that conveys them.

Good book with decent plot, but I found myself pulled out of the story repeatedly by the use of modern slang and thoughts. At one point a stone age character exclaims "Mama Mia!". This modernism is mixed with the author's well crafted made up nouns. This mixture had the effect of pulling me out of the story's flow.

KIm Stanley Robinson loves to explain things, often at some length. In this case he explains and illustrates a version of life among Paleolithic humans living in what is now Southern France at the end of the last ice age (around 32,000 BCE). There are still a few Neanderthals (the "old ones") around and one is a featured character. His POV character is a youngster named Loon who is, reluctantly, training to be a shaman. IMHO as a story it is way too heavy on decription of routine activities and light on human interest. I get that these people lived close to the land (so to speak) but the endless detailed descriptions of terrain features just slow up the story w/o adding much. Without getting into spoilers, there is a story and some action but most of it is a detailed account of how these people might have lived. It is probably best approached as a well-written text disguised as a novel. If you are interested in the topic you'll likely enjoy the book. But for general, casual readers hoping for a science fiction/alt history story - nope. BTW: The novel is narrated in the third person and every so often someone/something intrudes on the story, referring to itself as "I" and affects events. Whom this is supposed to be is unexplained.

When I previously read Robinson's Red Mars (Mars Trilogy)one of the aspects which intrigued me was the role of mythology. Even in that novel, which focused on scientists in an environment where they could only survive using advanced technology, myths played a pivotal part.

In this novel, Robinson takes that theme to an extreme. He actively delves into a pre-historic period of time where myths play an active role in daily life and are also developing on a daily basis. His insight into this kind of clan lifestyle appears both psychological and anthropologically acute.

In addition, the book is deeply immersive. The world-building is incredibly detailed and the characters, as different as they are from us, are compelling. You can't help but me drawn into their world.

However, nothing much happens and what does happen doesn't happen fast. Unlike in Red Mars (Mars Trilogy) where a mammoth amount of change took place, in Shaman, everything is slow and detailed. Thematically, this makes sense as it reinforces the idea of cycles, rather than progress. But, as a reader, I did struggle with this at times.

This isn't a good book for readers who prefer plot-driven novels. It's a great book for those who enjoy idea-driven and character-driven novels.

I would also advise that anyone who reads this does so slowly. This is not a book to focus on turning the pages. The joy in this novel lies in losing yourself in the details.

WARNING: Its sexual content can be explicit. At first, this really disturbed me, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to 'fit' with the novel. I never really enjoyed this aspect, but I can see how it contributes to the integrity of the novel and the accuracy of his insights into this period.

I always assumed that people living in, say, Roman times, were basically like us. Of course they dressed differently, had different ideas about the world, etc., but 2000 years is a short time in terms of evolution so I would imagine if one such person were transported to our times and immersed in our culture they would be indistinguishable from the rest of us. But what about someone living 30,000 years ago in the last ice age? Robinson creates such a world and introduces us to their society, religion and daily way of life. And to answer my question, Robinson supposes that they are basically just like us, with the same fears, desires and concerns, but at a more basic level concerned with survival. They have no written language and no agriculture, yet form local societies ("packs") and even attend annual festivals with neighboring packs.

That imagined world was interesting to read. So why only 3 stars? Although I finished it all the way through, I felt the book was tedious at times. Way too frequent and detailed description of the landscape (which was hard for me to visualize), the color of the sky, the method of hunting etc. As another reviewer has suggested, the book would have been better with about 20% less words.

As to the language used, I understand that when Robinson uses the slang words s**t and f**k, he is using modern day English to represent the ice age equivalent of these words. That's fine. But "mama mia?" This occurs twice in the book seemed totally out of place.

A question, since it wasn't mentioned in the book - does anyone know where the story was supposed to take place? I assume somewhere in Europe. Where do you think Loon's pack was located; what about the people of the north, near the glacier?

This is a compelling book, set in prehistoric times, which narrates the story of a young man who is being trained to become his tribe's new shaman. Kim Robinson is a powerful writer. At times, he can go into more detail than most readers desire, but Shaman is not one of those books. It is simply told, yet rich and completely believable. Robinson's portrait of life in the ice age is vivid, almost as if it were by National Geographic complete with pictures of cavemen.

Many of the scenes are so powerful that it was difficult to put down the book and do something else. Prepare to be entertained, and to enter the world of your ancestors.

This chilling novel combines science fiction, speculative fiction and historical genres for an altogether unique read. Kim S Robinson's awe-inspiring vision on how we lived thirty thousand years ago is simply breathtaking, and might I add most accurate too. I am fascinated with the natural world and the beauty of Earth's wonders and landscape, including animal/ plant habitats and history of life. This book presents an incredible insight into our past like never before, told in such a compelling and readable way that you are transported right back in time. The bleak, harsh environment sent shivers running down my spine as I could clearly envisage what it must have been like during an Ice Age. The wonders of prehistoric Earth are astonishing, (which I have also explored in other non-fiction history books and works by Sir David Attenborough).

Shaman is a coming-of-age story about `Loon' (a Shaman's apprentice) during the Ice Age. Within this desolate winter land, Kim S Robinson explores what it really was like to survive in a terrible world filled with dangerous life and Neanderthals. Reading this book was a truly unforgettable experience, as vivid and captivating as if I was watching a TV BBC documentary about Planet Earth. How the author interprets the lives of his characters from the past is engaging, and it is obvious how much lengthy research has gone into this novel.

I would highly recommend this novel to not only readers of speculative fiction, but to readers of all genre, as it is written so as to reach out to a wide-readership and all kinds of taste. Deeply mesmerizing, intense and brimming full of rich detail this is a story to remember and one that I wont be forgetting in a hurry! In essence Shaman enlightens readers about our origins and the foundations of life itself, by professing how tough and hard it was to survive all those years ago. This is a book like you have never seen before and so I urge you to grab a copy and take that leap back in time...

*I won a hardback copy of Kim Stanley Robinson's novel "Shaman" through a Goodreads, first-read giveaway*

(I would like to thank the publishers Orbit and the author).

This work of speculative fiction is a true masterpiece. I (Len) checked this book out from the library's New Science Fiction section. While arguably mis-shelved, I am glad I came across it. Having read other works from this author, I was expecting a good read, but this book went way beyond that. It really sent me back to pre-historic times, allowing me to experience what life might have been like for someone during the Ice Age. It imagines an entire culture and physical environment that seemed SO real. I suppose one might call this "alternative history", except that it goes way back before history. It certainly isn't what would traditionally be called SF, but who cares, it was GREAT! The vivid descriptions of the world, amazing characterizations, epic tale of love and rescue, tribal conflict, and pre-historic religion and art all make this a true work of literary art. I've been reading speculative and SF for more than 50 years, since I was a child. This book is up there as one of the best I've ever read! My hat's off to Mr. Robinson. I would please like some more, sir.

I’ve never read Kim Stanley Robinson before although he’s a multi-award winning author. I don’t know what planet I’ve been on, or what rock I’ve been hiding under, but I’m glad to finally be in the K.S.R. loop.

Shaman is set in the Paleolithic/Mesolithic era. I read one review that said it was the Neolithic era, but Neolithic includes farming, and there is no hint of agrarian society in this book. But that's not important. The setting is ancient history: that's what's important. Mankind is shedding its “caveman” roots and becoming more advanced in small ways such as establishing the rudiments of a society, religion and art, but they are still heavily dependent on the hunter/gatherer lifestyle. I can’t imagine there are extensive resources available to a fiction writer who wants to research this era. But whatever there is, Robinson must have looked at all of it before writing this novel because, at times, it feels more like a really long National Geographic article as opposed to a fiction story.

Don’t let that turn you away from giving it a try, though. Beneath all the historical, anthropological stuff, there is a core set of delightful characters: Loon, Thorn, Heather, Elga, and Click (an “old one” who is more Neanderthal than modern man). Loon is the main character, a 14-year old boy who, at the beginning of the book, is sent out into the wild, naked and alone, to survive for several weeks. He is the apprentice to the tribe’s current shaman, Thorn. The wander that begins the story is the beginning of Loon’s passage into manhood, and a shaman’s trial. Loon doesn’t want to be a shaman, at least not in the way his tribe’s shaman is, with magic and old stories.

He wants to find his own way, and that’s what this book is primarily about. Although Loon is only 14, the life span of humans at this time was considerably short and Thorn, the current shaman and Loon’s adoptive father, is considered old at 40. So, at 14, Loon takes on the duties and responsibilities of a man. He falls in love, is married, is put through trials that test his ability to survive in the harsh climates of a world still shaking off the remnants of the ice age.

This was not a fast read. It took some meticulousness and commitment, but the end of the book made it all worthwhile. The final “adventure” that solidifies Loon’s place among the greater world and among his own tribe is worth getting to, so stick it out and I think you’ll find yourself rewarded. You also might find yourself wanting to adopt a caveman.

A wonderful novel of the western Europe of 30,000 years ago! Robinson strides fearlessly into territory where Jean Auel and Martin Walker have ventured, with much greater success. This feels more authentic than either the Earth's Children series or The Caves Of Perigord. The teenaged Loon is being trained by his somewhat prickly mentors, Thorn and Heather, to be the tribe's next shaman, a job that combines healer, herbalist, bard, spiritual intercessor, and artist. The novel takes Loon from his solo wander at age 13 to young manhood, marriage, slavery among the Ice People, and parenthood. As an artist and visitor to Les Eyzies, Robinson's description of the lion cave (based on the recently discovered Chauvet Cave) seems the most convincing explanation of how ice-age cave paintings were done and used.

Prehistoric fiction this good rarely comes about. Shaman is the only book alongside Clan of the Cave Bears (Book 1) in my list of the genre worth reading.

Robinson uses delightfully unique language to provide an intimate look into the mind of the main character, Loon. Loon's appreciation for the ebullient splendor of nature shines throughout the book in a manner both appropriate to early humans and inspiring today. He experiences the highs and lows of outdoorsmanship, community, and adolescence in a quintessentially human fashion.

The plot was plenty interesting enough to satisfy, but as hoped for, it was the historical topics such as cave paintings, spoken poetry, and earth goddess beliefs that I will most enjoy remembering.

Some writing conventions petered out a bit awkwardly, and the pacing was not perfect, but overall this was an excellent read.

I loved all of the prehistoric stories by Jean Auel that Shaman has been compared to. In my opinion, there is no comparison - Shaman is incredibly unsophisticated and juvenile but too full of explicit sex for a young audience. Seeing words and phrases from present-time ruined this read for me. Words like "crayon", and modern sexually explicit slang terms for sex acts and body part was jarringly out of place.

A beautiful story well-told. "The Gold Coast," "The Years of Rice and Salt," and "Red Mars" are my favorite of Kim Stanley Robinson's novels, and this falls right in that grouping. While different from each, it shares the strengths of each. I just wrote a quick reaction/review over at LibraryThing having just finished a few moments ago, and I'll re-read it before trying to write more in depth about it; but, in brief, I think anyone who already enjoys some or any of Stan's novels with love this one and it would also be a great introduction to his work for anyone who hasn't read anything of his previously.

I found it utterly engaging, if a bit earthy and gross, but only in ways that make sense/felt plausible for the characters in the world of the story he's telling. It's beautifully written, never "over-written", and balances humor and tension in a story that's both fantastical and grounded. It is both simple and sublime.

In my LibraryThing review, I talk a little more specifically about it echoed, for me, some of the strongest elements of "The Gold Coast":
[...]

Going back 30,000 years to the Palaeolithic on Earth for Shaman seems like a considerable turn in the opposite direction for Kim Stanley Robinson, an author more associated with works set in the far future and on distant planets (2312, the Mars Trilogy). Surprisingly, or perhaps maybe not so surprisingly if you've read deeper into his concepts elsewhere, Shaman tackles similar science-fiction themes in its back-to-basics look at humanity. Perhaps if you can understand where you came from, you'll have a better idea of what the human race is capable of in the future.

Shaman starts out with the story of a young boy's apprenticeship to becoming the Shaman of the Raven clan. Set out naked and alone on a "wander" for two weeks at the age of 12, Loon must confront head-on the kind of hazards that face a vulnerable human in the wild and he very quickly learns the skills necessary to survive the unpredictable challenges of what lies ahead of him. More than that, he is also expected to experience a vision that places him in touch with the unseen world and help him on his path to becoming a Shaman. Loon is unsure of his calling and has a difficult relationship with his mentor Thorn, but life in the Ice Age has plenty of more challenges to throw his way.

Although the setting might be an unusual one, the themes explored by Robinson are no less grand-scale. The stripping back to basics in fact allows those essential human traits to be explored more fully. In Loon's journey (and, surprisingly, perhaps just as much if not more so in Thorn), you can recognise a similar thirst for knowledge and discovery of new horizons here, an exploration of the capacity and the tenacity of humans to learn and adapt to the world around them, to survive and thrive in adverse conditions, but that's only a part of what makes one human, and Shaman also brilliantly touches on other creative human impulses.

In the figure of the Shaman there is more than just an acknowledgement of the spiritual and sacred mysteries associated with life and with death, but also the creative urge to tell stories. The Palaeolithic man might not have the tools to write or print, but essentially in the learning and recounting of myths and tales and in the creation of cave paintings, a large part of the novel here is about the need to write, to document one's personal experience of the world, to share and pass on wisdom, to make a mark upon the world. A lot of this is tied up in the figure of Thorn, and surprisingly, it's not so much Loon but the old Shaman (and even the 'old one' Click) who contributes this remarkably vital and touching human element that enriches the novel considerably.

It is a time of frigid winters and shortened summers, when early man walked the Earth alongside Neanderthals, when the distant past began to shape the design of the future. It is here, 30,000 years in our history, that Kim Stanley Robinson delves into the life of mankind, and explores the coming-of-age story of a young man named Loon, in the ambitious novel SHAMAN.

Stripped of all his clothes and belongings, Loon is set loose into the wilderness and winter on a "wander," one of the most challenging and necessary events of his young life. If his wander is successful, Loon will be on his way to claiming the title of Shaman, a great title amongst his people. Freezing and unable to start a fire during a storm on the first day, it seems that young Loon has his work cut out for him. But he refuses to give up. He curses and wars with feelings in his head as he doggedly pursues the means to build a fire, then weave clothes out of bark. He is determined to succeed, and so he does.

Loon returns to his tribe and, as time progresses, makes his mark as a man, succeeding as a hunter and taking a wife. The tribe struggles in the hardships of primitive life, hunkering down to outlast bone-chilling and lengthy winters, to emerge in the spring and seek out game, working hard to prepare all they need before the winter comes again. And things are thrown more into chaos as Loon's wife, Elga, is kidnapped by a party of "northers." Loon then makes the fateful decision to go after her and steal her back. In the process, he ends up launching the last third of the book into a rousing action adventure that makes the whole trip worthwhile.

SHAMAN is a good book. It could have been a great book, and Robinson is certainly capable of great books. The novel really provides insight into Ice Age living and lures readers down deep into minute details about land and weather and hunter/gatherer culture. The science is brilliant, and the cultural study is superb. Where it ultimately falls is in those same details that make it so fascinating. Robinson paints and explores such a vivid world, but his character creations that populate it are flat and uninspired, so much so that it seems they are merely included in the book because they have to be there.

This is not to say that SHAMAN is to be avoided. Quite the contrary, the book is one that readers can enjoy as long as they prepare themselves to be extraordinarily patient and let the story slowly unfold. If you can make it to the halfway point, then it will reach the hook point and you will be turning pages much quicker. The events of the final half and the fate of the Wolf Pack, as well as Loon, Thorn and Elga, make up for the slowness of the beginning. All the way, Robinson will captivate with his examination of the world that we never saw. Until now.

Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

Shaman

by Kim Stanley Robinson

Shaman is the story of the coming of age of a young man in a prehistoric time. Loon, orphaned at a young age, is raised by the pack’s shaman, Thorn, and the pack’s herbal healer, Heather. At the age of 12, he is sent off alone and naked into the forest for his wander. For two weeks (beginning the night of the full moon and ending the night of the new moon), he must find ways to survive hunger, the cold, and the ever-present dangers that lurk everywhere.

A shaman is a tribal leader who acts as intermediary between the earthly world and the supernatural world. He uses spiritual forces to predict the future as well as heal in the present. He leads the pack, teaches, and tells stories of the past and present so that history will be preserved.

We travel with Loon on his wander and then watch him grow to adulthood when he marries and fathers two children. We experience life as he knew it - the customs, the needs, the perils. Upon Thorn’s death, Loon becomes the pack’s shaman, a role he adapts to suit his personality and his “modern” thinking.

The joy of the hunt, the kill, and the satisfaction of hunger upon biting ravenously into the thigh of a freshly killed deer, is understood, and appreciated. The shivers of a frosty wet night without benefit of cover or fireside warmth is palpable. The loneliness and isolation of a blackened cave without even a flicker of light stings with fear and loneliness and trepidation. Life as it existed.

In search of something different to read, a diversion from my more usual book selections, Shaman proved to be a very different experience. Although there were moments of disbelief or displeasure, to my delight (and surprise), overall, I actually enjoyed it.

Of course McFestus loves him a well written prehistoric novel. This one compares very favorably with Elizabeth Marshall Thomas's Reindeer Moon as one of the best and most accurate of the modern titles of this genre. The 4 main characters were well drawn, I wish the author had spent more time with other members of the tribe, but you can't have everything. This one had adventure, a good love story, thrills, danger, good, evil, insights into human nature , our institutions of family and group or nation and religion, and our place in the world. I also thought the interwoven parts on how people lived back then, the technology they used etc etc was spot on historically. That's quite an impressive feat for an author who writes mostly of the near future and colonizing planets. .

. I found myself intrigued enough to try and figure out where Loon (the protagonist) went in his travels. It obviously starts off in France 30,000 or 40,000 years ago. I enjoyed this fabulous book so much, I think I will reread Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel, and restart the Bjorn Kurten and Sue Harrison series, all of which are good as well.

Robinson is a versatile writer who proves with Shaman that he can move from complex sci-fi, historical analysis and near future intrigue to prehistoric `magical realism' gracefully. His understanding and respect for science serves this story well, with elements of prehistoric life and lore considered carefully, as is his direct and deft handling of relationships, lust and heartbreak. Robinson occasionally hints at the identity of the narrative voice but, fortunately, does not trespass into fantasy. Shaman is securely rooted in facts and succeeds in conveying how humans survived in the stone age.

Shaman is a good if predictable story, although there is no way that events in a stone age clan are going to meet the plot expectations of readers from other genres who read Shaman on the basis of Robinson's reputation. On the other hand, Robinson wrote an article, `Shedding Skins', in Arc 1.4 which argued for use of modern light and hi-tech materials for hiking and camping. This was an interesting read and contains a philosophy which Robinson launches into prehistory with Shaman.

This is a work of great imagination. Whereas Jim Crace was able to draw on documents about medieval English life when writing Harvest, Kim Stanley Robinson was working only from fossil and forensic evidence, none of which tells us much about how people really lived and inter-related thirty thousand years ago. I found every detail entirely plausible: the preoccupation with the spirit world (the beginnings of religion), the superior ingenuity of tribes from colder climes (which was a pre-cursor to the rise and dominance of European civilisation), the closeness of ice-age humans to their environment, the relationships between neighbouring tribes, despite their linguistic differences, (which developed into nations), and the firmly-rooted moral codes which distinguished humans from the animals they killed (and then thanked). For me - and others will disagree -there were too many purple passages containing graphic accounts of sexual activity, even with animals, and perhaps too little about childcare (in all the time Loon and Elga were away from their tribe, they never once mentioned the baby they had left behind). I was also slightly troubled by the language: the author invents lots of nouns and descriptors, perhaps to show how thinking and language develops, but then sprinkles the text with very modern American phrases, e.g. ‘Heather showed up’ and ‘Mama mia’. The use of a modern four-letter expletive (which the store won’t let me repeat!) also felt anachronistic.
Despite these minor reservations, this is a wondrous book. It rightly shows that humans of thirty thousand years ago were not very different to those of us living in the twenty-first century, and that the simple, albeit very hard life, has a lot to recommend it.