A
conversation with
Dylan Casa del Lobos
Howdy, my name is Dylan Casa del Lobos.
I am the author of Fifty Thousand Years
Hi
Dylan, welcome to Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots! Your book Fifty Thousand Years sounds amazing.
What was the inspiration behind your book?
My first book, Fifty Thousand Years,
was a project I considered during my days as an undergraduate, studying
archaeology. I was intrigued by the assumption that only men created the tools
of civilization, hunted for food, and solved every problem. Women were
automatically assigned the roles of motherhood and perpetual cook. This didn’t
sit well with me and contributed to the list of problems I found with the
traditional study of archaeology, including a disconnect with basic survival and
hunting skills in the mountains of the North.
Do
you know, I have never even thought about that. Surely women would have known survival skills as well? I mean, why wouldn't they?!
Did you face many challenges while writing
your book?
The challenges were to create a
realistic look at life and the world, during many different eras and localities;
since the story follows a genetic line of women from fifty thousand years ago
to the present. The material is available, and the recent archaeological
discoveries are fascinating. Although it was necessary to decide whose
historical information was more credible, in order to portray the story as
accurately and realistically as possible. There are many differing opinions in
academia.
That
is quite an epic endeavour. How did you even begin with regards to your research
of the Ice Age?
I am from Northern Canada. During my
youth, I worked as a professional hunter, trapper, ranch hand, and logger. Winter
means working in forty below and colder. Sometimes, there are no warm places to
rest and drink coffee. The short days of winter meant working all day in the
cold, and sometimes sleeping in the cold. This outdoor lifestyle in the extreme
cold has given me a greater appreciation of our ancestors’ survival skills
during the Ice Ages and of how little mistakes can be fatal. My time as a
hunting guide made me realize how difficult hunting the Mammoth, Cave Bear, and
Cave Lions was with primitive weapons. I must add, I found the naïve assumptions
about primitive hunting techniques, espoused by professors who had never stared
into the eye of an enraged Grizzly, to be humorous and entertaining. I acquired
a basic understanding of genetics and was complimented by a retired Stanford
microbiologist for making the study of mitochondria DNA interesting and within
the comprehension of the average reader. She told me, she didn’t believe it was
possible. I consider that to be a great compliment. When I wrote of horse
cultures and horses, the story went much faster. The story includes the
780-year Muslim occupation of Spain, the Spanish conquest of Mexico and Texas,
and details the Oregon Trail during the mid-19th Century. I’ve
started and trained oxen to work with the yoke, so this was easier for me to create
the aspects of realism.
 |
| These are Brown Swiss yearlings and this is their first few minutes under the yoke. They are contemplating mischief and mayhem. |
I
cannot imagine working in those sort of temperatures, let alone sleeping in
them! But it obviously gave you a real insight to the tough conditions that
your characters would have encounter.
What
are you currently working on?
My present novel begins during the time
of the earliest Eurasian horsemen, who became the mounted Scythian warriors,
the Huns, and the Mongols. The story follows a genetic line of men and women,
(The Hun women were warriors and rode beside the men) and describes their lives
and horsemanship as they begin to question warfare and life itself. The story parallels
the life of one of their modern relatives, a Marine who copes with the horrors
of war and the adjustment to civilian life (I was a Marine during Vietnam).
Besides the common DNA, a more natural and gentler horsemanship binds these men
and the horses provide many of the answers to life’s mysteries and help these warriors
cope, not only with training horses, but family members, strangers, and enemies
as well. The ending has a few surprises as a modern day woman begins to unravel
the code of her DNA.
That
sounds amazing! Thank you so much for coming onto the blog and answering my
questions. It has been a pleasure.
Fifty
Thousand Years
Fifty
thousand years ago, much of the earth’s water was locked in ice sheets a mile
high. The ice covered most of Europe, Asia, and North America. The oceans were
140 meters shallower and the rest of the world was in a 90% drought situation
for tens of thousands of years.
Although,
there was a unique biome for 300 kilometers south of the ice. Called the
Mammoth Biome, this unique area was a savanna, with rainfall and runoff in the
summer months. The runoff carved the river beds for the great rivers of Europe,
Asia, and North America. The precipitation and runoff provided feed for a
multitude of animals and our ancestors. Stretching from Spain to Siberia,
across the Bering Strait on a landmass that was exposed by the shallow water of
the Pacific, the Mammoth Biome continued across Alaska and into the Yukon. This
is why we find the fossil remains of mammoths and many other Ice Age animals in
the Yukon and Alaska. This landmass called Beringia was the main thoroughfare
for early man to migrate into the New World.
The
hunting and foraging for plant food was good, but danger lurked in the form of Cave
Lions, Cave Bears, hyenas, and other humans. Only the strongest and most
resourceful people could survive the full force of nature and living next to
ice sheets that were thousands of miles long.
There
are epic stories of survival and of solving solutions to serious problems of
starvation and war, but Fifty Thousand Years is different, because women are
participating and sometimes leading the various tribes.
Eventually,
the weather changes and civilizations improve the quality of life, but the
world is still a dangerous place, and families still need creative thinkers as
well as bold leaders.
Dylan Casa del Lobos
Dylan Casa del Lobos is a horse
dentist. He lives in Southern California and has an international practice. Dylan
works without sedation and takes pride in being able to handle and work with
thousands of horses, every year, without restraint or help. He has been a
professional horseman for over 50 years and plans to continue working, until
they give him his last biscuit. An outdoorsman, Dylan enjoys packing with
horses in the mountains of British Columbia.
What an interesting post, Dylan! It's great to hear of a story where the female perspective is other than the conventional one of domesticity.
ReplyDelete