Ayla

Yet another doodle from class. Because my own computer is broken, I don't even have photoshop to attempt any touch-ups.


This is Ayla, heroine of the Earth's Children series. If you haven't already, I recommend reading these books. At very least, read the first book in the series, Clan of the Cave Bear. It is phenomenal, and, hands-down, the best in the series.

The books are set in upper paleolithic europe, during the time when the region was occupied by both homo sapiens and neanderthals.
In a nut shell, the story follows Ayla, a homo sapien woman who is raised by neanderthals. There's lots of hilarity involving the differences and similarities between the two species (for example, they think Ayla is incredibly ugly because she's so tall, with straight legs and a huge bulging forehead, etc). And, though current evidence indicates neanderthals likely could speak just as well as we can, the series was started before such data came to light, so the author's neanderthals communicate using sign language.

This series is very cool. Especially if you're like me and love trivia. These books have got to be the most well researched literature I've ever read. The series is non-stop anthropology, biology, animal behavior, botany, herbal medicine... I don't know how the author pulled it off. I suppose it says something that it's taken her 30 years to write these 6 books!
Also, after the first book, there's lots of seemingly-out-of-nowhere erotica, which is sort of strange juxtaposed with the science and culture and all that. It is absolutely hilarious though. The awe-inspiring size of the male protagonist's penis is often used as a plot point. No joke.

Seriously though. Earth's Children is a great series, and quite entertaining.





Ok, that was a ridiculously long description. I'm done now.