With dramatic and detailed first person narration, Jack London's Before
Adam follows the dreams of a young boy who has a genetically imprinted
memory and knowledge of an ancestor who lived in prehistoric times. Big
Tooth is a pre-human ape and is the protagonist of the young boy's
dreams. He lives in a tribe that rests in the middle of two extremes. In
the surrounding area, there are tribes of differing levels of
development. One is primitive and stays in the vast forest, while the
more advanced group travels and uses tools. Big Tooth's group is
somewhere in between, not quite advanced enough for tools and
organization, but not so primitive that they cannot coexist with each
other. While the young boy sleeps soundly and dreams, Big Tooth is being
hunted by other humanoid apes and cyber tooth cats. Since his tribe
hadn't developed a language yet, Big Tooth struggles to communicate his
needs and to request help. Still, Big Tooth must make alliances, find
love, get food, and avoid the dangers of the undeveloped world, all
while the young boy tosses and turns in his comfortable bed and advanced
society, dreaming of the origins of man.
Featuring careful and detailed prose, Jack London merges the adventure
genre with speculative fiction in his thought-provoking novel Before
Adam. Through the portrayal of pre-human, ape-like characters, all with
differing levels of development, London comments on early evolutionary
theory and allows readers to imagine life in a pre-historic time. With
the comparison of the young boy and Big Tooth, London creates a
fascinating and unique perspective on human nature, simultaneously
portraying Big Tooth with pure primitive needs and as a sympathetic,
relatable character. Before Adam is often described as an under-rated
addition to Jack London's literary canon. Though it does not portray
destinations that can be reached modern day, like his other works,
Before Adam allows audiences to adventure in a world before their own
and ponder a time before society was established.
This edition of Before Adam by Jack London is now available in an
easy-to-read font and features a new, eye-catching cover design to cater
to contemporary readers.
