Prehistoric fiction: History and Key Facts

Prehistoric fiction is both a historical fiction and a science fiction subgenre in which the story is set during the long timespan of human, and even animal, prehistory; the Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic up to the Copper Age, Bronze Age and Iron Age for Western Eurasia and North Africa, and further afield the Lithic Stage and Archaic Stage of North America. The genre has connections with speculative fiction. In narratives such as this, for instance, humans and dinosaurs are shown living together.

The paleontologist and author Björn Kurtén coined the term "paleofiction" to define his works. The contemporary genre dubbed "stonepunk" features the anachronistic use of high technology in prehistoric times. Yet prehistoric fiction can be accurate and based on hard paleontological, archeological and anthropological evidence.

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