Dinotopia
What?
- A series of books by James Gurney about an island where dinosaurs
and humans live in harmony.
- A series of junior novels set in the same world.
- A six-hour television miniseries based on the books.
- A television series.
When?
- The first book, Dinotopia: A Land Apart From Time, was published
in 1992.
- The sequel, Dinotopia: The World Beneath, was published
in 1995.
- The junior novels... well, I have no idea when they were published.
Too many to keep track of.
- The miniseries originally aired on ABC (in three parts) on May
12, 13, and 14, 2002.
- The television series aired on ABC in the late fall of 2002 and was
cancelled shortly thereafter.
Who?
- The miniseries and television show were produced by Hallmark Entertainment.
- Notable actors include: David Thewlis (miniseries)
Famous for:
- James Gurney's gorgeous paintings.
- "Breathe deep, seek peace."
The rest of the television series, may it rest in pieces, might be shown
on the Hallmark Channel at some point in the future. The books can
be found in the Children's section of most bookstores and every library
I've ever been in. There appears to be a new book by Gurney on the
horizon.
Dinotopia Links
The Offical Dinotopia Website
- What more do you want? It's got art, and information, and
a downloadable .pdf bookmark (among other things), along with a messageboard
full of people with laugh-inducing names taken from their Mary Sue fanfics.
Although they probably think they're being clever.
Skies of Dinotopia
- A fan site based on a fan-created character. However, for
basic information, layout, and Dinotopian goodness, this can't be beat.
Also, the site's creator shares my feelings regarding the miniseries
- and explains those feelings much better than I ever could.
And here's a couple of random sites that aren't anything special, but
do have some nice stuff.
Random Trivia
- The only non-CGI dinosaur in the entire miniseries is 26, the baby
chasmosaur. The puppet, about the size of small dog (or a large football)
cost in the neighborhood of $100,000.
- James Gurney's name is in the credits for both the miniseries and the
television show, but he had no input regarding either.
- James Gurney has done lots of artwork for National Geographic
, including illustrations for a 1997 article on Patagonian dinosaurs. He's
also done a series of dinosaur-themed stamps for the US Post Office.
I don't remember how I acquired the first book, but I loved it immediately.
I do know that I shelled out fourteen bucks for the second one -
ordered it through one of those (literally) paper-thin book catalogs they
send to elementary and middle schools. It was worth the wait, although
I firmly believe that nothing will ever match the sheer beauty and imagination
of the original book.
Having read most of the junior novels, I think I can safely say that
the best are Dinotopia Lost and The Hand of Dinotopia, both
by Alan Dean Foster. Both also focus on Will, with Hand spotlighting
Sylvia as well; Will and Sylvia are my favorites, dontcha know. I
think the real reason I like the two novels so much is that they're much
longer than the normal 100-page mini-adventure. I do so love a book
I can sink my teeth into...
Like the dutiful fan I am, I taped the miniseries and have watched it
several times since then. Each time I find more things wrong with it;
I'd make a list, but I don't think I have enough space on this server. I
am currently working on my very first Dinotopia fanfic, although its completion
is doubtful, and awaiting the fall show with dread. And hope. To
lose hope, after all, would be very un-Dinotopian.