Dinosaurs (short story)

"Dinosaurs" is a science fiction story by American writer Walter Jon Williams. It was first published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine in June 1987 and subsequently republished in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Fifth Annual Collection (1988), The 1988 Annual World's Best SF (1988), Best New SF 2 (1988), Facets (1991), Isaac Asimov's Aliens (1991), ZomerSFeer (Dutch language, 1996), Future on Ice (1998), The Furthest Horizon: SF Adventures to the Far Future (2000), and Exploring the Horizons: Explorers, and The Furthest Horizon (2000).[1]

Cover of the first independent publication (Pulphouse).

Publishers Weekly described it as "bio-punk".[2]

Williams has stated that the story is essentially about a fear of senility and senescence, applied to humanity as a whole rather than to an individual.[3] He originally wrote the story in 1985, for a science fiction magazine that was to be published by L. Ron Hubbard; however, Hubbard died shortly after having accepted the story, and the magazine was cancelled.[3]

Synopsis

Millions of years in the future, after humanity has taken on multiple specialized forms, Ambassador Drill attempts to defuse an incipient conflict between humanity and the Shar.

Reception

"Dinosaurs" was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novelette,[4] the Locus Award for Best Novelette,[5] and the Theodore Sturgeon Award.[6]

References
  1. Bibliography: Dinosaurs, at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database; retrieved July 18, 2014
  2. FACETS, by Walter Jon Williams, in Publishers Weekly, published 1990; archived at FantasyLiterature.com; retrieved July 18, 2014
  3. Dinosaurs, by Walter Jon Williams, at WalterJonWilliams.net; published April 18, 2014; retrieved July 18, 2014
  4. 1988 Hugo Awards, at TheHugoAwards.org; retrieved July 18, 2014
  5. The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1988 Locus Awards Archived 2012-10-03 at the Wayback Machine, at Locus; retrieved July 18, 2014
  6. The Locus Index to SF Awards: 1988 Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award Archived 2015-06-22 at the Wayback Machine, at Locus; retrieved July 18, 2014
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