Robert Turtle

Biography

I turned to writing ecological science fiction after helping design and build remote sensing instruments used to monitor environmental changes on earth from space. Thinking about the way the lives of animals are constrained by their environment fired my imagination. The characters in my novels were chosen partly in reaction to William Blake's aphorism "The tigers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction," and I wondered what it would be like if animals felt remorse. Nama and Westwind's reflections are akin to those described by Mary Austin in her short story "The Walking Woman."

Books

Across Primordial Landscapes
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 73,000. Language: American English. Published: December 30, 2018 . Categories: Fiction » Science fiction » Utopias & dystopias
Beast Gur and his mate Briza become deeply involved in the affairs of the River Kingdom of the water primates. It's a dangerous move, for water primates are taught early that war will be the stage for their finest deeds. Beasts aren't interested in living by a warrior code, so the fate of the two species' mutual civilization hangs in the balance.
Trekking On
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 71,710. Language: American English. Published: May 5, 2016 . Categories: Fiction » Fantasy » Historical, Fiction » Science fiction » Utopias & dystopias
Trekking On is the sequel to the eco-fiction fantasy Beasts of the Open Space. Prehistoric herbivores Nama and Westwind are together again after a time of crisis and separation. Their former way of life has been swept away, and they set off with their daughter Acacia and her pal Shadow to seek new opportunities in new places.
Beasts of the Open Space
Price: Free! Words: 54,130. Language: American English. Published: January 17, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Travel, Fiction » Science fiction » Utopias & dystopias
Even though they do not appear explicitly, this is an allegory with characters Pride, Lust, Wisdom, and Regret. A pair of intelligent, horse-like beasts named Nama and Westwind roam a rugged prehistoric landscape in search of a safe pathway into the future. The book begins a trilogy that follows them and their descendants through three generations.