Next

By Michael Crichton

The world of genetics is out of control! In this stunning new thriller bestseller Michael Crichton illustrates what happens NEXT...
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?'It's a tribute to Crichton that he can capture the ethical confusion with such comprehensiveness and colour. His most page-turning book since Jurassic Park' the Age'Completely brilliant . . . top form' Daily Mail

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Dec 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9780730410157

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

[rbarrphd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Legal, social, and ethical problems of bio-engineering shown through a series of intriguing story lines. Gives a strong case against patenting genes.

[auraesque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I may not have agreed with Critchon and the ideas he presented in this novel but it was a fun entertaining read regardless.

[suetu_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm another one of those readers who looks forward with anticipation to see what subject Michael Crichton takes on in each successive novel. I feel like he, more than anyone else, has his finger on the pulse of the future. I believe he sees what is going on in science, technology, and our culture and draws logical, if disturbing, projections about the pitfalls ahead. In Next, Crichton takes on several different aspects of genetic research, and there is plenty of grist for his mill. Many readers and reviewers have criticized Next as having too many characters and too many subplots going on. This is actually a strength. The novel is the literary equivalent of films like Crash and Syriana, that take on huge topics by creating a pastiche of interrelated characters on all sides of the issue. In Next, those characters include researchers in many shades of gray on the scale between good and evil. There are many individuals who stand to profit financially from this new science. There are interesting explorations of the legal ramifications of this emerging technology. We are even introduced to some amazing transgenic animals. When I read Prey, I was amazed by the potential of nanotechnology. I am wowed again by the potential of genetics. But as with everything that involved money and power, there's a very real dark side citizen's need to be aware of. There are gray areas in the ethics of this research. As always after reading a Crichton novel I feel better educated about these issues. I feel I've actually learned something in a thoroughly entertaining way. Because I was entertained. The story being told had me fully engaged and the short chapters kept everything moving at a brisk pace. Now, I can explore some of the books in Crichton's bibliography of Next to explore the non-fictionalized aspects of these important issues. Even if you don't feel like reading a bunch of science books, it would be well worth your time to read Next.

[x_gussa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

There was way too much going on in this book. I'm still not sure what the first part of the book has to do with the ending. Also, the ending is like he just got tired of writing so he abruptly stopped and had it published. I would not recommend it.

[mrstalkstoomuch · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The subject matter was interesting but, to me it seemed like the way the story told was all over the place. I felt like I was watching what life is like for some one with ADD. Who really puts in 95 chapters in a book anyway?

[btburt · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be frustratingly fragmented, to the point where it was virtually impossible to keep track of all of the characters and to identify (much less follow) the central flow of the narrative. There really is no clearly defined protagonist or antagonist, and I couldn't find any character for whom I felt sympathy. Crichton's point seems to be that the "wild, wild West" of genetic engineering / biotechnology is pure chaos, a world tied into so many legal and ethical knots that it's impossible to disentangle at this moment in time. Everyone involved in this world seems to be portrayed as selfish, ruthless, and avaricious, completely ignoring the consequences of their self-serving actions.There's certainly compelling science here, and Crichton makes a strong case for why we need to impose some semblance of order and sanity on this emerging area of technology that is fraught with potential dangers for human society. But this felt more like a polemic than a novel.

[brysoncrichton · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not his best effort. No one mixes science and fiction like him but this seemed like he was on autopilot.

[fmgee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Typical Crichton, fast paced action with a number of stories that interconnect through the book all related to genetic engineering. Unlike many of his other books I found this one a little disappointing. There was a little too much going on and the connections and conclusions were not always well fleshed out. It is still worth reading for any Crichton fans but if this is your first Crichton I would recommend starting elsewhere (State of Fear, or Prey).

[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.

[sonicquack · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Next is not a typical Crichton novel. It's full of the high tech, cutting edge science of genes and how their misuse in medical procedure will affect the world we live in. The central theme is very sound and will keep you captivated. This is just as well, since there is no strong plot line to keep you reading. There are too many characters, very vaguely (and improbably) connected, all with connections to the gene modification industry or affected by it in some way. Next is not a book that can be picked up and put down since it's difficult to keep up with the plethora of story-lines, and because only the animal based strands stand out, it is difficult to remember where the other threads are going - in fact, there are quite a few dead ends. Crichton is shoehorning in stories to emphasize his viewpoint on the wayward use of gene experimentation, it's interesting reading, but there is none of the compulsive reading that he has created previously.

[tonyaj_62 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Technology and science gone rampant and out of control. Weird experimentation on humans and animals, resulting in something dangerous that needs to be hidden. I liked the exploration of what it means to be human very much and the creepy feeling that biotech companies may be doing some of these things without our knowing it, or will be, in the future.

[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.

[kevinjoseph_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I've been a long-time fan of Michael Crichton and respect his use of the thriller medium to frame for the masses his bold positions on controversial scientific, legal and ethical matters. I also hold a special interest in the debate surrounding the rapid advances in genetic engineering and gene therapy, having chosen that subject as the centerpiece for my first novel. So when I heard about the premise of "Next," it naturally secured a high spot on my holiday wish list. I'm sorry to report, however, that "Next" fell short of my lofty expectations. The story reminded me of a four-hundred-page law school hypothetical, crammed to the hilt with unsavory, one-dimensional characters whose actions often served little purpose other than to generate issues for the reader to spot and analyze. There are the unethical biotech executives, patenting gene sequences willy-nilly and brazenly asserting ownership of human cells mined from unsuspecting citizens. And there are, of course, the shyster lawyers, all too eager to profit, in the most unscrupulous ways imaginable, from every new scenario presented by the biotech revolution. And finally there are the trans-genetic parrot and chimpanzee, living examples of the ethical minefield that lies before us. That's not to say this the book wasn't entertaining or informative. Crichton certainly knows how to keep the pages turning with non-stop action, and he cannot be faulted for failing to cover the full spectrum of issues in the genetic engineering debate. I only wish he had spent as much time and energy on creating a believable plot and populating it with real characters as he did on researching and analyzing controversial genetic engineering issues. (Gerard the parrot, with his relentless quotation of movie lines, was the one memorable character in the lot.) And Crichton's attempt, in the closing chapters, to bring the myriad of plot strands together through numerous contrived happenings and coincidental intersections of the many characters, came off poorly. But for those who appreciate the haphazard plotting of movies like "Crash" and are more interested in the genetic engineering debate than in a coherent, well-told story, "Next" may prove satisfying, nonetheless. -Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker

[grandeplease_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Next is a pseudo science mystery thriller. This Crichton finds the protagonist in an ethical dilemma with regard to a genetic engineering experiment in which he participated. Early on, the book is a bit disjointed as the author shares with the reader seemingly unrelated events. Before long these events start to connect and then, in a manner too cute, fall into place.Crichton had an ax to grind and did it within his tale, Next.

[atdcross · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was only the second of Crichton's book that I did not enjoy as much as the others I've read. It wasn't as much of a page-turner and the ending was disappointing. When reading, it felt like I was not sure where the book was heading, not in the way where it was suspenseful, but in a way where it felt all the different stories and characters were disconnected, although the storyline connected them to the issue of trans-gene therapy.The ending was anticlimactic.However, I still love the "Author's Notes" that Crichten adds to most of his books, discussing the factual issues on which his book is based.

[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.

[alincolnnut · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In "Next," science fiction author Michael Crichton returns to his most fertile subject matter, genetic engineering. Weaving together several stories involving scientists, corporate executives, tourists, hired thugs, and an artificially created simian, Crichton blends fact, scientific potential, and fantasy into a page-turning narrative.Unfortunately, unlike several previous novels that clung, however breathtakingly, to fantastic plausibility, this novel frequently descends into the absurd and ridiculous. This is enormously disappointing given the quality of many of Crichton's previous novels, especially such classics as "The Andromeda Strain" and "Jurassic Park." While the late authors literary skills are evident, they never coalesce into a pleasing novel here.In part, this is due to Crichton's attempt to offer a complex narrative of multiple overlapping stories that eventually converge, similar to films such as "Crash" and "Babel." Too often, this ambitious approach leads to confusion and disinterest. Those who tend to be critical of Crichton's character development might blame the confusion on that, though it is more likely due to the author's intentional use of multiple narrative voices, including frequent extended quotations of journalistic sources (whether these are actual quotations or fictitious creations attributed to real sources is never clear).Fans of Crichton's previous books are unlikely to appreciate this attempt, while those unfamiliar with his work will likely the unimpressed.

[mixmastermax · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Incoherent gibberish. Makes no sense at all. There are remnants of a plot, but only just. Just like 'State of Fear', this book is merely a device to unload Chrichton's (very odd) ideas about genetics, law and politics. (He seems to have taken the same path Tom Clancy did in his Jack Ryan books.) Not over-the-top enough to qualify as satire - but almost. It has about as much to do with real-life genetics as 'The Fly' or 'Species' (even if some of the numerous topics covered in the book may well have warranted a closer look by somebody prepared to think about them for more than the day and a half it apparently took to slap together this piece of $&%!.)

[seph_2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I used to think I could always count on Crichton for an exciting and compelling read, but this book disappointed me. It's obvious that Michael Crichton is a smart man who has a lot of passion for the issues around which he builds his stories, but Next crossed the line from compelling into preachy. I wanted a fun read and instead felt like I was being lectured. There were also too many separate story lines in this book that made it confusing to read throughout, and though they do come together at the end, it wasn't a big enough end to justify making the reader keep track of so many subplots. I hope this doesn't prove to be his "jumped the shark" book.

[jeffv_19 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not my favorite Crichton book, Next is a story of genetic research gone awry. There is a bunch of story lines, some intersect, others do not. A drug addict huffs some gene-therapy spray stolen from his researcher brother and suddenly he is a paradigm of society. Their mother hounds the good son to get more of the therapy to give to friends. He gives in...then finds that after a short time, they grow prematurely old and, well, die. A orangutan is found in the wild that can swear in three languages. A parrot speaks French and English and can do math, and irritates everyone. A hybrid monkey is close enough to human to pass for a child and actually attends school. But then he shows a proclivity to bite. Hard. Ears come clean off. Meanwhile, lawyers are running amok, claiming people don't own the cells in their own bodies. Lots of little dramas, no real plot. Interesting, although rather alarmist.

[br77rino · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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

[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.

[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.

[nancychase · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A bit of a let down for me. I have been reading Michael Crichton's books for years and I hope the publisher will soon release some of the stories he was working on prior to his most sad departure. I believe the first novel was "Andromeda Strain" (although I thought the characters in this story needed developed more thoroughly) and of course "Jurassic Park" and then there was "State of Fear" which I enjoyed and a few others. But, I must say that this novel, "Next" had a lot to be desired. I would even go so far as to say it was a bigggg disappointment. Sorry. It wasn't because of the splattering of foul language, which I'm not a big fan of, (I never understood why authors have to fill pages up with profanity.) Many stories will stand on its own without it or toned down to a reasonable level. Just my point of view.I thought that in the novel the plot never really materialized and the characters were never fully developed. I never felt I knew the character, Henry Kendall, the researcher. I would have liked Mr. Crichton to have spent more time to allow the reader know what makes this guy tick. After all, he has mixed the human and chimp DNA to produce a hybrid child. Also, on a side note, I wasn't enthralled with the talking chimp and parrot. If those characters had met a quick end, I would not have been sorry to see them go. On the surface when you read the synopsis one would think that this novel would be a interesting, and a exciting read. However this was no page turner and for me it was a let down.

[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.

[aramissciant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I vaguely remember the fast pace and an excellent character being a chimp (?) speaking in French accent (maybe named Marcel??).

[kkossol_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was very entertaining, however it was really hard to follow. There were too many stories going on at once, though they all kept my attention. There really was not a dull moment in this book. Right from the very beginning I found it to be a hard book to put down. The ideas discussed in the story were interesting because one day they might happen. Even right now, some of the moral issues in the story are being talked about in real life. The relationships between the all of the characters in the story are very real. Also the connections between the characters fit together nicely, and of course that helped combine some of the stories. So there weren't so many and they weren't so overwhelming. I found Gerard (the talking parrot's) story the most entertaining. It was a perfect combination of seriousness and humor. I have read books like this before and I feel that a story like this could very easily become predictable, however this one did not. Some of the endings did disappoint me a little. They weren't very clear and there was more than one way to read them. This may just be one of those books that you have to read more than once to completely understand it. Overall, I really enjoyed it, and might want to read it again in the future.

[kaylol · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's incredible!

[size12isnotfat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine gave this book bad reviews, but I really liked it!

[jwilker-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I shoulda heeded the cover copy. "As good as anything since Jurassic Park" or something similar.

True enough. It was a fast read, quite interesting, for sure, but not exciting in the slightest. Buy it used if you have to read it. DEFINITELY don't pay airport book store prices.