Yesterday, I stopped by the store and noticed in the book aisle that Michael Crichton had a new book out called Next. Since I enjoy Crichton’s works (although I do have to say he’s got a problem with endings) and since it was on sale for 30% off, I picked it up. Then, I spent this morning reading the book.
Obviously, therefore, I would say that once you start the book you can’t put it down. Actually, that’s not quite accurate. Crichton, who writes in brief sections, begins the book with a few sub-chapter length sections that are hard to follow. But by the time you get to about page 5 or 6, it’s off to the races and then you won’t be able to put it down.
This book, like most of Crichton’s, deals with science and ethics. Specifically, Next deals with genetic engineering. The novel is sprinkled with many real articles from scientific news stories about various aspects of genetics, as well as some fictional things that Crichton makes up. Crichton’s blend of fact and fiction works so much better than Dan Brown’s lame attempts in The Da Vinci Code.
As usual, Crichton keeps you turning the pages to the very end. The ending to this novel is actually one of his better endings, although it felt a little too rushed for me (but then, this could just be personal taste). Having just read State of Fear last year, I would say that Next has a much better plot (in both cases, I agreed with his scientific points). While this doesn’t have the impact that Jurassic Park did, it’s still a great novel.
Naturally, this book does leave you feeling slightly paranoid–but in a good way. It is troubling to find out that over 30% of our genes have been patented. Even more troubling is the way that Crichton is able to weave recent legal decisions into a possible present plot to demonstrate that the logic of the court’s decisions would actually enable genetic researchers to hunt down individuals who had specific genes so they could legally take cells from them. It is troubling precisely because this is where the logic of our legal system will lead.
Unfortunately, Crichton does not really get into the true philosophical heart of the matter (although, to be fair to him, that was not his intention). Ultimately, the stakes boil down to questions of naturalism. Are people merely products of their genes? Is there something “more” to being human than mere chemical reactions? If not, then what difference does it make if we mine a human being for cells than if we mine a hillside for gold?
Crichton doesn’t deal with this particular aspect, instead leaving it in the realm of social justice, politics, and our legal system. However, I do believe that the true answer to the problems Crichton addresses will not be found until we are prepared to look at the metaphysical issues.
For those who enjoy reading thrillers, I give this book a solid A (if the ending were just a tad bit better, it would have definitely garnered an A+). For those who enjoy science, especially genetics, I give this book a solid A. On the literary scale, I would put him between a B+ and an A-. So, altogether, I would definitely recommend the book.
