The Foot-prints of the Creator : $b or, The Asterolepis of Stromness

A meticulous survey of ancient fish fossils opens this Victorian treatise, focusing on the enigmatic Asterolepis of Stromness. The author, a devoted naturalist, sets the stage with a spirited exchange on whether Earth’s rebirth could arise without a creator, framing the scientific inquiry that follows.

The work blends exhaustive description with candid commentary. While some chapters delve into dense, technical detail—ideal for geologists—others offer a clearer view of the creature’s form and the broader geological record. Readers are gently guided to skim the more specialized sections, yet encouraged to linger where the author draws his most compelling conclusions about the animal’s structure and its place in Earth’s history.

Interwoven with a respectful dedication to a leading British authority on fossil fishes, the narrative balances scholarly rigor and accessible storytelling. Listeners will appreciate the author’s polite yet firm challenge to contemporary creationist thought, and the vivid portrait he paints of a world long hidden beneath stone.