Next

By Michael Crichton

The Number One international bestselling author of Jurassic Park, Congo and Sphere blends fact and fiction to create a near-future where genetic engineering opens up a whole new world of terrifying, page-turning possibilities…

Is a loved one missing body parts?
Are blondes becoming extinct?
Has a human already cross-bred with a monkey?

We live in a GENETIC WORLD. Fast, frightening – and potentially VERY lucrative. There are designer pets; a genetic cure for drug addiction; a booming market in eggs and sperm. But is there also a talking ape in Borneo? Has a 'master' gene for controlling others been found? Could an innocent man and his family be hunted cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes …

Are you ready for what comes NEXT in Michael Crichton's stunning new thriller?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jun 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780007330621

Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton (1942-2008) was the author of the bestselling novels The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Jurassic Park, Sphere, Disclosure, Prey, State of Fear, Next and Dragon Teeth, among many others. His books have sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and have provided the basis for fifteen feature films. He wrote and directed Westworld, The Great Train Robbery, Runaway, Looker, Coma and created the hit television series ER. Crichton remains the only writer to have a number one book, movie, and TV show in the same year.

Reviews for Next

[br77rino · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Decent enough sci-fi tale, involving ape/human hybrids.

[misticat57 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Loved the parrot!

[kaylol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's incredible!

[bkinetic_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In Next Critchton explored a frightening future in which genetic manipulations interweave existing species and create legal chaos. There are currently prohibitions against this kind of genetic engineering, but this novel illustrates why these sanctions are unlikely to remain in place over the long term. There's lots of action and adventure here, as well as humor, making for an entertaining story.

[carloa_31 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The crescendo of thrill that usually culminates in a enjoyablke climax is missing in this Crichton book. The story is thought-provoking and well told, but the thrill is limited.

[buffy9tinkes · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

After hearing many wonderful things about the author i was rather disapointed in this novel. I found it rather scattered, Crichton tried to fit to many different stories into one. I feel the novel would of been not only eisier to follow but more enjoyable as a collection of short stories, still an interesting read and very thought proviking if nothing else.

[justicefortibet_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michael Crichton never fails to give you enough information to understand his topic. Unfortunately, it's sometimes overwhelming. The storyline is gripping in its concept - genome manipulating technology is already here and hard to control. That's the thing about Crichton - he can make things real enough to scare the pants off you.

[snukes-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Of all MC's books, this is by far my least favorite. It read like a thick biology textbook. He continued to introduce new characters every other chapter for the entire length of the book, most of whom were somehow connected to other characters. It was impossible to keep them straight, and I read the book much more quickly than I normally would. If I'd read it over the course of two weeks, I'd have been hopelessly lost. Finally, what was probably supposed to be a cautionary tale felt more like an excuse to get up on a soap box and show off how much he knows about genetic research, then to smack us around and tell us how the world was soon to be ruined by it and its political interests. I enjoy his works best when he wraps science in adventure. This was politics wearing a thin, dry coat of science, and I was very disappointed.

[qarae · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The worst of Michael Crichton's work that I've read to date. It seemed like a hog-pog of notes from other books all combined into one.

[thebentley · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not Crichton's most readable work. There are an awful lot of characters and scenarios--so many that it's difficult to keep them all straight. While this may well be part of the point, it makes the book difficult to read. On the other hand, Next is extremely fast-paced. Even though it's long and convoluted, it's a quick, exciting read. It's also very, very thought-provoking--the kind of book that makes you want to write your congressman.

[haxrchick · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy a book that makes me think about things I hadn't yet considered. And if it can do so while keeping me entertained with good story telling then all the better. This book succeeded on both accounts. It's prefaced with the text:"Welcome to our genetic world. Fast, furious, and out of control. This is not the world of the future -- it's the world of right now." (bookflap)and "This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't." (intro page)The book is enjoyable in your typical suspension of disbelief way, none of it seems real. But, as it gets further in, you do begin questioning what of this is real today, and realize that the rest may not be far behind at all. It makes you think about the moral issues behind genetic research and, while I'm as big of a fan of capitalism as the next American, if we might not be taking things too far. If corporations can patent genes (which is one of the parts that is of course NOT fiction), can they patent the cells in an individual? And what would that mean for the person? Should corporations be allowed to patent ideas or information that may be required to cure diseases, effectively preventing others from researching and potentially finding cures to the things that ail us? If health insurance companies can refuse to cover us for pre-existing conditions, what does that mean when genetic testing is able to expose conditions that we're predisposed to from birth? And do we need to think twice about how much we trust our morticians when the high dollars associated with medical research mean a black market for body parts?These aren't the questions we typically hear around the morality of genetic research, but if the average consumer doesn't know about these things, then they will occur without hindrance. I think Crichton clearly wrote the book to bring attention to them for this reason. So, kudos to him for doing it in an entertaining way and one that's accessible to even those of us that come in knowing nothing about the field.

[kd9_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Crichton can write an enjoyable and swiftly moving book. This isn't exactly a novel, but more a cinematographic series of scenes that highlight various points that he wants to make about genetics research, the current laws on gene patents, and transgenic animals. The central conceit is that a single biogenetic company owns the cancer fighting cells cloned from a single individual without his consent. This leads to a gun battle between agents of this company and the man's daughter and grandson. There are also subplots involving a transhuman chimpanzee and a transhuman parrot, Although the science is not quite as ludicrous as that in Jurassic Park, most of the scientists and business owners are depicted as venal and unhuman. Ah, well, this book was more interesting during a plane trip than the latest celebrity or fashion magazine. I finished it in a couple of hours.

[amacmillen_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Genetic engineering produces man ape, a orangutan that talks and a parrot that caries on conversations. This is a fiction novel based on facts and news articles that real.

[porchsitter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Michael Crichton's good he's really good. Next was fun, educational, peculiar, exciting and frightening. He takes the facts of genetic engineering then twists, bends, molds, and stretches them to improbable lengths (remember Jurassic Park?) and just when you feel he's gone too far for plausibility, he assures you THAT part is true. By adding into the mix the problem of legal questions that might arise from gene manipulation you're left pondering not only the future, but wondering what's happening right now. Google got a workout while I was reading Next.

[xmaystarx · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very funny scenarios, the type of book that combines my love of science with my love of reading, even if it can't be taken seriously!

[sirroger · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This book concerns the many possible complications that could arise in the near future due to gene therapy research. The situations of the *many* plot lines center around issues like ownership of cells, gene patents, and the creation of transgenic (hybrid) animals. This book was interesting, and eventually the story becomes somewhat gripping, but I don't feel that it's particularly strong as a novel. There are many separate story lines and characters, and it all feels very scattered. There's a lot of research apparent behind Crichton's writing, and he does a great job of blending the fiction with the fact in a believable, creative way. He also provides an extensive bibliography. Unfortunately, the several plot threads sort of fizzle at the end even as they try to tie themselves up, and it ends up seeming more of a heavy-handed dogmatic text than an exciting mystery thriller. I do agree with Mr. Crichton's conclusions regarding gene patents and the like, but hearing it once in the ending courtroom scene and again (almost verbatim) in the author's epilogue seemed a bit much.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Next" is the latest in a series of Crichton works which are structured on the same premise: Take a current scientific/medical topic, explore it, explain it and then illustrate the dangers presented if the science is not properly regulated and/or controlled. This has been a constantly recurring theme with Crichton since his first novel, Andromeda Strain and its subject of killer viruses. What "Jurassic Park" did for cloning and "Prey" did for nanotechnology, "Next" does for genetic testing and research on the human genome. The novel takes current technology in the realm of genetic research and patent law, and presents scenarios that range from likely to the utterly ridiculous. Though some of the story threads border on absurd, they are nonetheless captivating and very well written. Regardless of your feelings about Crichton (and he has certainly made some enemies as a result of his global warming novel "State of Fear"), the man is a medical doctor and obviously a fastidious researcher. He knows his subject and he is an outstanding writer. If you read his novels, you will be educated on the subject matter. Though the novel is printed on 425 pages, the lines are widely spaced and seperated into almost 100 chapters. The book can easily be read in two sittings. I don't know why publishers feel the need to disguise the length of their products through cheap printing tricks. It's a 300 page novel at best.

[nevinr3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting! Science fiction, great read, not for those who are dim;)

[pghdragonman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michael Crichton seems to write in two modes: Very Good and ER Scripts. This book falls into the latter category.The premise of the book, corruption within companies that do research into genetically modified organisms, is believable. The cast of characters written into the story line is, to paraphrase the frequent ER attention getter, ripped right from the TV screen. The mysterious femme fatale (complete with alluring accent), the overbearing mother of a lab worker, not one but two genetically modified characters you can feel sympathetic for, the hapless doctor who becomes entangled in an unwanted paternity suit, they're all here as well as a complete cast of extras. Oh yes, one of the main characters, a real heavy you feel no sympathy for, a bounty hunter, is very thinly disguised as the one portrayed on a TV show. To balance this heavy, his side kick is a tough lady with a big heart that, of course, goes soft at the wrong time.I don't think I'm risking giving away too much of the plot because, frankly, there is not too much of a plot to give away. We've all seen this TV show many times before. You know the outcome before you get to the end of the novel. The reason I'm giving this an above average ranking is the way Crichton amazingly juggles the vast number of characters, many of whom had this been a movie would have ended up on on the cutting room floor, and still keeps some semblance of a story line flowing.Actually the real ending of the book is not in the novel itself, but the afterward. Now Crichton reveals the reason for writing the novel: he jumps to reality and makes a plea for some common sense in legislation dealing with genetic research and the granting of patent applications for gene sequences. Just like a TV show with the final wrap up scene , included to bring you up to speed in case you were raiding the 'fridge at a crucial moment of the story, this little bit of reality is inserted just in case you missed the message of the book.Good recreational reading or for escape from daily problems . . . just like TV.

[mspolly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A thought-provoking look at the many ramifications of genetic research, told through the eyes of researchers, universities, and lawyers. From the battle over who "owns" a person's cells and genetic strucure, to the arrival of a humanzee, and a genetically altered parrot who is a sentient being, Crichton weaves his storytelling magic.

[csleh · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting book, scary premise. Like all of Crichton books, the story is good but the writing leaves something to be desired. Phrasing still awkward after all this time -- do his editors not tell him? Timely subject matter and any reader of thrillers will enjoy.

[psiloiordinary_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

At least it didn't take long to read.I thought his Jurassic Park was good and Congo as well, so when this one appeared at the school fete for a quid I thought I would give it a go. Yes I know the whole point is to take science and tech and just twist it a bit, enough to scare and or enlighten and or warn us, but this book goes too far. He simply makes up too much stuff and hence the usual "pacey read and jumbled plot lines gradually merging together" is left standing open to view like the standardised skeleton it actually is, bereft of the flesh of "entertainment".Interestingly one of the books in the bibliography is also on my too read shelf so I will turn to that next. (Genome by Matt Ridley)Don't spend more than 50p on this one.

[h3athrow_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have a weakness for two mass-market paperback authors: Stephen King and Michael Crichton. You might disagree with Crichton's politics or science, but he still writes a gripping yarn. I appreciate that each novel focuses on issues surrounding a current technopolitical topic: in this case, genetic engineering. While the cast of characters often becomes muddled, the intersecting subplots do not, and everything wraps up in the end. This one seems ripe for a movie. Great for an airplane read, and truth be told, I bought this at AUS and read much of it on the way to EWR. Popular pulp, but insightful. I dug how the paperback came with differently colored covers; I chose neon orange, which is the book cover color du jour.

[thejohnsmith · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An interesting take on what could happen with genetic engineering and the way our world deals with that.An entertaining, thought provoking and engaging read.

[dvf1976 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Serviceable...My ipod kept skipping while listening to this audiobook. Unfortunately, the focus of the book skipped around too so I couldn't be sure if there was a skip or just a change in the author's focus.The end of the book had an interview with Crichton. He said he intended for there to be fragments of a plot in the book. He wanted the structure of the book to resemble the genome. Various parts of it don't seem to connect or have any use.

[madamemeow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fantastic book! In the past, I've been a bit cynical towards Crichton, but this was an amazing read. A total page turner, start to finish. I did find it sometimes a little hard to keep the characters straight, but beyond that, a great book.

[nm4fall074d4eckerson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be interesting. It went into detail on genetics. One of the things that made the story harder to follow is how it jumped from character to character. I hoped it would at least make it a little easier to tell what character's perspective you were reading from than halfway through the chapter. other than that though it was a great story with laws involving genetics and all of the other interesting genetic experiments the story had.

[john257hopper · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A reasonable page turning thriller that explores some interesting and controversial ideas, though my instinctive feeling is that the author is rather too one-sided in his presentation of these ideas. However, there are plain daft notions such as the fluently talking parrot Gerald and the “humanzee“ Dave that detract from the seriousness of the concepts the author seeks to explore. As a novel about ideas rather than people, the characters, of whom there are far too many, are thinly drawn and one feels little for most of them. Despite its 500 pages, the novel also doesn't really seem to come to a proper conclusion, but peters out rather suddenly, as though Crichton had reached the publishable page count and had to end it there. So all in all certainly one of Crichton's less impressive works.

[omrythea_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Honestly, this book makes me question whether I will keep buying everything Michael Crichton writes. Too far-fetched (Human parrots???) too preachy, too weird, too much agenda, too much coincidence, too overblown and overdone... sigh... Please Michael, get back to the quality of Jurassic Park.

[reading_fox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Crichton's back on form with this one. It's the subject area he knows best, well researched and with an interesting and almost belivable plot too. In a way the plot is secondary as Michael has several points (clearly laid out in the notes at the back) that he wishes to make. The plot doesn't get too contrived in order for him to make them.The novel follows several characters lives though different chapters, this can be slightly confusing reading to begin with, but becomes clearer as the various interactions occur. They are all one way or another involved in the burgeoning genetics field. The conclusion is very rapid, Michael's made his points and suddenly all the plot lines are ended. Contrived - slightly, but worth reading anyway. There are various newsstory articles scattered through the book, adding the flavour of the times. It is interesting to speculate which are real and which invented - details are given in the notes. Are Michael's concern's real - well he's done the research with a well stocked binliography at the back I'm not going to argue. Some of his scenarios are distinctly magnified but the basic premise holds true. The Law is and Ass. The field of genetics is providing ample ground to show this is true. However I don't thkn the science is quite as doable as some of his characters manage to achieve (much like in Jurassic Park). Enjoyable. Thoughtprovoking.