Wonderful.

Densely detailed.

Much of Otherlands is written in the present tense, which feels a bit creepy until the reader gets into the rhythm, at which point the narrative becomes shockingly real and immediate, as individual dramas and entire, vibrant panoramas unfold in what feels like real time.

A brilliant series of reconstructions of life in the deep past, richly imagined from the fine details of the fossil record ...There are passing hints of how particular fossils were formed, and why specific locations yielded a rich haul, but the details are passed by – if you wan that kind of thing you will have to follow up the extensive notes. The exposition is also mercifully light on the cliches of Attenborough-style narration, where every scene seems to be either a mating opportunity or a meal.

Halliday takes an energizing spin through Earth’s past in his magnificent debut.

A bracing pleasure for Earth-science buffs and readers interested in diving into deep history..