How to Train Your Dragon meets Mad Max in this story of an orphan in a fractured Southwest who just wants to ride a dinosaur under the lights.

Come one, come all to the dinosaur rodeo!

Tif Tamim wants nothing more than to be a dinosaur buckaroo. An orphan in search of a place to rest his head and a job to weigh down his pockets, Tif has bounced from circus to circus, yearning for a chance to ride a prehistoric beauty under the sparkling lights of a big-top.

To become a buckaroo, Tif needs to learn the tools of the trade, yet few dino maestros want to take a scrawny nobody from nowhere under their wing. But when Tif frees a dino from an abusive owner and braves the roving gangs of the formerly-American west to bring the dino to safety, he catches someone’s eye. And boy, how those eyes dazzle Tif from the back of a bucking carnotaur.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

“Combining the futuristic wastelands and clan wars of Mad Max with a gate to John Scalzi’s Kaiju Preservation Society, this story of found family, big dreams, and the inevitable heartbreak of responsibility will appeal to readers of coming-of-age novels with a twist and anyone who knows they couldn’t resist loving a wild creature even as they try to return it to where it belongs.” —Library Journal, starred review

“Bejeweled, dinosaur-riding buckaroos are the stars of the show in this equal-parts rollicking and poignant sci-fi novella…. Dinosaur lovers and sci-fi fans are sure to fall for this inventive coming-of-age story.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for the Luna Series

“Spare, simple, elegant when he needs to be...deep and meaty when he wants to be...[McDonald] does his work like an artisan pulling a sculpture from stone.” —NPR on Luna: Wolf Moon

“It’s a great scenario, lovingly detailed, and curiously attractive despite its current of unforgiving violence.” —The Wall Street Journal on Luna: New Moon

“With an action narrative driving this political commentary, Luna: New Moon is actually a fantastically fun read as well as an important one.” —Los Angeles Review of Books



“An engaging thriller...McDonald's portrait of a cutthroat society trying to survive in the deadliest of environments also make it one of the strongest science fiction novels of the year.” —The Chicago Tribune on Luna: New Moon

“McDonald creates a complex and fascinating civilization featuring believable technology, and the characters are fully developed, with individually gripping stories.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Luna: New Moon

“The best moon novel I’ve seen in many years. . . McDon­ald’s novel has some formidable SF stingers not far beneath its densely textured surface.” —Locus on Luna: New Moon

“McDonald's never written a bad novel, but [Luna: New Moon] is a great one.” —Cory Doctorow

“The story is innovative and fresh...has a feel of The Godfather meets A Song of Ice and Fire meets Ender’s Game.” —Portland Book Review on Luna: New Moon

Additional Praise for Ian McDonald

“Ian McDonald is one of the very best science fiction writers in the world. His novels are fearless, brilliant, wise-they illuminate and entertain spectacularly.” —Kim Stanley Robinson, New York Times bestselling author on Hopeland

“Fans of science fiction who enjoy a dash of history and legend will savor this tender story.” —Publishers Weekly on Time Was

“McDonald is one of the best writers currently working in the genre.” —SFX on Hopeland




About the AuthorIAN MCDONALD was born in 1960 in Manchester, England, to an Irish mother and a Scottish father. He moved with his family to Northern Ireland in 1965. He has won the Locus Award, the British Science Fiction Association Award, and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award. His novels include King of Morning, Queen of Day (winner of the Philip K. Dick Award), River of Gods, The Dervish House, the graphic novel Kling Klang Klatch, and many more. In 2019, Ian was named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by the European Science Fiction Society. He now lives in Belfast.
Title: Boy, with Accidental Dinosaur
Author(s): Ian McDonald
ISBN: 9781250419552
Copyright 2026
Release Date: February 03, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
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