Winter in Eden
 |
 First edition (publ. Grafton, UK) | |
| Author | Harry Harrison |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Eden trilogy |
| Genre | Science fiction, Alternate history |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
Publication date | 1986 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 416 |
| ISBN | 0575115629 |
| Preceded by | West of Eden |
| Followed by | Return to Eden |
Winter in Eden is a 1986 science fiction novel by American author Harry Harrison, the second in the Eden series.
It tells an alternate history of planet Earth in which the extinction of the dinosaurs never occurred. The story began in West of Eden, which depicts a war between a group of Cro-Magnon-level humans that evolved from New World monkeys and a reptilian race called the Yilanè, who are descended from the prehistoric mosasaur and have become the dominant lifeform on the planet. The central characters from the first book return: Vaintè, an ambitious Yilanè, and Kerrick, a "ustuzou" (the Yilanè word for mammal) who was captured by the Yilanè as a boy, raised as a Yilanè, and eventually escapes to rejoin his own people and burn the Yilanè colony city.
The trilogy continues with Return to Eden.
Plot
In Winter in Eden, Kerrick and Herilak (fellow chieftain) searches the burned Alpèsak and discovers two Yilanè males. Herilak and Armun (wife of Kerrick) go north, while Kerrick stays in the city to learn more about the Yilanè. The reptiloids use their mastery of biology to drive them off and reconquer the city. Meanwhile, Enge, her fellows and an old, grumpy scientist establishes a city in South America. Vaintè allies Lanefenuu, leader of another city. Together they attempt to eradicate humans. After several unsuccessful attempts, they corner Herilak and the tribes in a valley. Kerrick and Armun tries to find each other and finally they end up at the Paramutan (northern whale hunter humanoid). They return and find a safe haven at a small lake with their own child, some humans and the two Yilanè males. Later, Kerrick and Armun travel to the Paramutan again, and with their help Kerrick manages to blackmail Lanefenuu to withdraw Vaintè and make peace. Vaintè initially obeys, but later defies efforts to make peace with the humans, so Lanefenuu banishes her.
External links
- Winter in Eden page on Official website
 | This article about a 1980s science fiction novel is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. See guidelines for writing about novels. Further suggestions might be found on the article's talk page. |