Origin Stories

'Without stories, our ancestors are merely their bones, tools, footprints...'

Origin Stories begins 7 million years ago, when the changing climate forced a species of great ape to climb down from the tree canopy, and take its chances on the ground. What happened next would change the world.

This deeply intelligent, rigorously researched and incredibly witty book delves into how our ancestors evolved speech, explores the genesis of ancient legends and the beginnings of the written word, and takes us from the earliest fireside tales to the millions of stories uploaded to social media every day. Throughout, David Clifford shows that the story of humanity cannot be separated from our species’ gift for storytelling, and that the single thread that runs through our ancestors’ greatest inventions is our unique ability to tell a narrative about our past and imagine a future yet to come. For readers of Nexus by Yuval Noah Harari and Eve by Cat Bohannon, Origin Stories shows that storytelling forged our history – and that those who tell the most powerful stories will control our future.