Novelist’s book signing set for Earthdog Café

Bill Prins, author of a new novel about a mythical Indonesian tribe, will hold a book signing at Earthdog Café in Berkeley Springs on Saturday, August 18.

Prins will be signing his Legends of the Ebu Gogo at two sessions — from 9:30 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Prins book was inspired by the 2003 achaeological discovery of human-like creatures in a cave on Flores Island, Indonesia. The find created excitement in the scientific community. The fragile skeletons were originally taken to be that of children because they were only about one meter tall.

Further examination showed that the skeletons belonged to diminutive adults, and the debate began as to whether these were the bones of diseased modern humans or some unknown offshoot of humans’ family tree.

The discoverers called the little creatures Homo floresiensis.

With the discovery came the realization that modern natives of Flores Island had for many generations told elaborates stories to visiting anthropologists about little people who had once lived among them.

Prins created his story based on legend, scientific facts and his imagination.

Dr. Prins is a rocket propulsion engineer who lives in North East, Maryland.

Legends of the Ebu Gogo is illustrated with drawings by Dennis Daub.