The West of Eden Trilogy – What if the dinosaurs didn’t go extinct?

Take a look at a world where the age of the dinosaur never came to an end in Harry Harrison’s West of Eden trilogy.

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if that asteroid never hit the Earth 65 million years ago and brought the age of the dinosaurs to a cataclysmic end? Would the dinosaurs have developed intelligence? Would the human race have ever been able to come about?

The West of Eden books by author Harry Harrison answer those very questions.

Starting with the first book, West of Eden, Harrison brings readers into a world dominated by the Yilanè, a species of intelligent reptiles descended from the mosasaurs. The Yilanè originated in the African/European contents, and when the book begins we join them as they’re in the process of beginning to colonize North America.

The books take place around the time of the ice age but already the Yilanè are extremely advanced, utilizing genetically modified ichthyosaurs as submarines and modified monitor lizards as guns. They’re also capable of growing an entire city using genetically modified seeds. Most Yilanè technological capabilities are organic in nature, and they use living creatures as analogs for things we have in modern society, like shackles, cameras, microscopes, and even aerial reconnaissance.

The Yilanè society is matriarchal in nature, with the females running the show while keeping the males segregated as breeding stock. The breeding process isn’t broken down into great detail (thankfully) but it’s often deadly for the males.

Harrison’s world-crafting abilities are downright amazing. His ability to paint a stunning picture of Yilanè society and culture is nothing short of incredible. If I were to completely break down Yilanè society it would take me several articles, that’s how much work the author put into building this fictional world. And he does it without being needlessly wordy. Unlike Tolkien who takes three pages to describe a tree, Harry Harrison is straight and succinct when explaining Yilanè society. His description of the Yilanè world is so great that by the third book I was immersed to the point where I actually began using Yilanè insults in real life (Sorry for calling you a fargi, Sam).

I’ve read that Harrison consulted a Tolkien scholar for assistance in developing the language and culture of the Yilanè, and it really shows. The attention to detail is insane. The books also include an addendum that properly explains the Yilanè culture and language, as well as translations for what animals and dinosaurs are being referenced, though you won’t actually need it to understand what’s going on. It’s very easy to become immersed in this fantastic alternate reality that Harrison has created.

The Yilanè aren’t the only characters in the series though. The books give equal attention to the Tanu, a race of primitive nomadic humans. Unlike in real life where humans descended from African apes, the Tanu (and the other human tribes in the book) are an offshoot of North American primates. The Tanu aren’t anywhere near as advanced as the Yilanè, but they have basic tools and understand agriculture.

The series balances the stories of several characters, but the primary human character is Kerrick, a Tanu hunter who was captured by the Yilanè at a young age and raised by them until his teen years. Because of this Kerrick has the unique ability to speak Yilanè, a process which relies heavily on body language. He also understands how the Yilanè think, and throughout the series struggles with reconciling his Yilanè upbringing with his humanity. Kerrick is joined by his uncle Herilak and his wife Armun, as well as people from the various tribes he comes across.

The primary Yilanè character, and the main antagonist of the series, is Viantè. Viantè was originally the eistaa (ruler) of Alpèasak, the new Yilanè colony in North America, but throughout the series she is shown to be cruel even by Yilanè standards. Viantè is the one who originally captured Kerrick, and eventually swears to wipe out every last human on the continent after Kerrick betrays her. Her obsession with getting revenge on Kerrick often puts her at odds with the other Yilanè, and she repeatedly finds herself in trouble with the eistaas of other cities.

While there’s an assortment of secondary Yilanè characters, the one that stands out the most is Enge. In fact, I’m hesitant to call Enge a secondary character, because she gets just about as much time as Kerrick and Viantè.

Enge is the chief member of “The Daughters of Life”, a group of Yilanè who abhor killing and place an emphasis on preserving life. The Daughters of Life are vehemently hated by other Yilanè, and most eistaas either have them killed or imprisoned. Throughout the series, Enge and her group are constantly on the receiving end of persecution. Despite this, Enge continually remains optimistic, always ready to die for her beliefs if needed. Enge also shares a relationship with Viantè, as the two are from the same group of eggs. Viantè despises Enge, but often needs her assistance (particularly in teaching Kerrick to speak Yilanè).

Throughout the West of Eden trilogy multiple stories are going on at once. By the third book, Return to Eden, there are four or five individual stories being told at the same time, all of which wrap up together nicely. This sounds like it would be chaotic and confusing, and not many writers attempt this because telling multiple stories at the same time is very easy to screw up. In Harrison’s case, he does an excellent job in telling everyone’s story with equal attention, and you’ll find yourself fully invested in each character’s journey. I’m kind of sad that there’s only three books, because I’d love to know even more about the world of the Yilanè and Tanu, especially what that future would look like. But at the same time, I’m also glad Harrison didn’t drag the series on until it got stale.

If you’re looking for a good alternative history story with a hint of science fiction, I can’t recommend Harry Harrison’s West of Eden series enough. The trilogy begins with West of Eden, continues in Winter in Eden, and ends with Return to Eden. They’re a massively underrated series with a clever concept, a highly immersive world, and an attention to detail that could rival Tolkien’s work.

I give this series an 8/10. It’s a solid read for sure