The Flight of Dragons (book)
Encyclopedia
The Flight of Dragons is a 1979 speculative natural history
book written by Peter Dickinson
and illustrated by Wayne Anderson.
According to Dickinson's hypothesis, dragons evolved from dinosaurs that were hyper-modified to allow powered flight despite being very large. To this end, they actually evolved into organic "zeppelins" filled with hydrogen gas; hydrochloric acid would dissolve large amounts of rapid-growing bone, releasing massive amounts of hydrogen as well as corrosive waste materials. The dragon's ribs, no longer needed to support the thorax (which was now heavily modified, and supported by its own gas pressure and a light but sturdy 'honeycomb' of bone) had become winglike structures, allowing powered flight.
The hypothesis also explains the fire-breathing: hydrogen is very flammable, and the dragon would release it regularly since its body constantly produced it. Its environment would become quite acidic due to the waste products of the chemical reaction, another element frequently mentioned in dragon legends; and after a dragon's death there would be very few remains, explaining the lack of fossil evidence.
was the inspiration for the film's plot. Nevertheless, one of the main characters is Peter Dickinson himself, struggling to complete his text.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
book written by Peter Dickinson
Peter Dickinson
Peter Malcolm de Brissac Dickinson OBE is an English author and poet who has written a wide variety of books, notably children's books and detective stories, over a long and distinguished career.-Life and work:...
and illustrated by Wayne Anderson.
Thesis
Dickinson proposes that dragons once existed, citing the diverse cultures who all share stories of a mythical flying creature with fantastic properties and abilities. Dickinson proposes to approach the problem from an evolutionary standpoint. He does not argue that everything legends tell us about dragons is true. Instead he argues that primitive man created those myths to explain more realistic features, which all evolved around a single ability designed to help the dragon survive, flight.According to Dickinson's hypothesis, dragons evolved from dinosaurs that were hyper-modified to allow powered flight despite being very large. To this end, they actually evolved into organic "zeppelins" filled with hydrogen gas; hydrochloric acid would dissolve large amounts of rapid-growing bone, releasing massive amounts of hydrogen as well as corrosive waste materials. The dragon's ribs, no longer needed to support the thorax (which was now heavily modified, and supported by its own gas pressure and a light but sturdy 'honeycomb' of bone) had become winglike structures, allowing powered flight.
The hypothesis also explains the fire-breathing: hydrogen is very flammable, and the dragon would release it regularly since its body constantly produced it. Its environment would become quite acidic due to the waste products of the chemical reaction, another element frequently mentioned in dragon legends; and after a dragon's death there would be very few remains, explaining the lack of fossil evidence.
Film
In 1982, Rankin/Bass Productions released an acclaimed made-for-TV animated film, aspects of which were based on Dickinson's novel. For example, the character design in the film bears a resemblance to the illustrations in the book. However, the novel The Dragon and the GeorgeThe Dragon and the George
The Dragon and the George is a 1976 fantasy novel by Gordon R. Dickson, the first in his "Dragon Knight" series. A shorter form of the story was previously published as the short story, "St...
was the inspiration for the film's plot. Nevertheless, one of the main characters is Peter Dickinson himself, struggling to complete his text.