Jean M. Auel is one of the most
popular authors of
prehistoric fantasy ever.
She was born as Jean Marie Untinen in 1936 in
Chicago,
Illinois. She married Ray Bernard Auel and has five children. She is a member of
Mensa.
Her "
Earth's Children" series is the incredibly popular account of the life of
Ayla, a
Cro-Magnon orphan who is raised in a community of
Neanderthal people. The series is famous for both the
detailed and well-researched description of
prehistoric life and (in the later novels) the
explicit and frequent description of
sexuality.
The
novels in the series are:
- "
Clan of the Cave Bear" (1980)
- "
The Valley of the Horses" (1982)
- "
The Mammoth Hunters" (1985)
- "
The Plains of Passage" (1990)
- "
The Shelter of the Stones" (2002)
Part of the series was filmed as "
Clan of the Cave Bear" (1985) with
Daryl Hannah playing the part of
Ayla.