From space-born strains of virus (“The Terminal Man”) to misused computer technology (“Rising Sun,” “Disclosure”), ill-conceived trips back in time (“Timeline”) and threats that start out under somebody’s microscope (“Jurassic Park,” “Prey”), science unchecked has played a big part in Michael Crichton’s oeuvre.
“Next,” Crichton’s latest techno-thriller, takes on genetic experimentation and the mass-marketing of genetic science (the patenting of genes, etc.). In the hands of just about anyone else, those subjects might put the average reader to sleep. In Crichton’s hands, though, they become a satirical thriller that will have bookworms glued to their armchairs and techno-nerds across the Internet debating the probability of the threats the author writes about.
Rick Diehl, president of California-based BioGen, has a benefactor named Jack Watson who not only controls his future, but he also wants to control Rick’s company. To make matters worse, Rick is in the middle of a custody battle he and his lawyer want to win, so they do the unexpected and request genetic testing to see if Rick’s wife might be prone to developing Huntington’s or Alzheimers, rendering her unfit for future parenting.
Unbeknownst to Rick, Watson’s nephew is about to get sexually blackmailed into contaminating samples of tissue in one of BioGen’s labs. It seems that some years back, Frank Burnett, a man who was terminally ill with cancer, was treated by a local university physician. Although the doctor took credit for Burnett’s cure, it was really the result of cytokines in Burnett’s own tissues.
The unctuous university doctor mined Frank’s body for samples of those tissues to sell them to BioGen. Having engineered the “theft” of his own tissues, Frank Burnett and his family are on the run from BioGen because the law states that they must hand over samples of their valuable tissue or be considered felons.
While this skullduggery is taking place, BioGen scientist Henry Kendall and his partner are mucking about with the natural order, experimenting with Transgenics, animals that have had human genes introduced into their system.
Just recently, Henry has discovered himself an inadvertent “daddy” again. His new son, Dave, is part chimpanzee, part human being. Now Kendall and his family must hide Dave from the rest of the world to keep him out of trouble with the law, and with his company, which didn’t authorize the experiment.
What’s more, another geneticist has a troublesome brother who – thinking it a new form of drug – inhaled a genetic mist that has caused him to be more mature – and age prematurely. Then there’s the case of Gail Bond, who has brought home an experimental African grey parrot (smarter than most chimps). This parrot has been genetically enhanced, upping both its IQ as well as its extensive vocabulary.
There are about a dozen narratives running parallel with each other throughout this novel. And while the structure of “Next” sometimes feels a bit choppy, as if the various narrative threads might never come together, there are some genuinely hilarious set pieces, such as when Gerard, the genetically enhanced parrot, rats Gail’s husband, letting her know he’s been carrying on with a tart in their house. It’s almost as if Crichton were using the films of Robert Altman as his template when plotting the novel.
As always, the world-according to Crichton is filled with enough scheming scientists to drive a dozen horror movies. But that works to great comic effect in “Next.” And yes, there are numerous plot lines playing out simultaneously, but, to his credit, Crichton manages to bring these diverse elements together by novel’s end. But after basing his last thriller (“State of Fear”) on the idea that global warming is just a fearful figment of most people’s imaginations, Crichton might find fewer laymen willing to take heed of his warnings. And that would be a shame, because in “Next” Crichton brings up some worries worth considering as the science of genetics comes into its own in the 21st century.
He also throws in a few thrills and lots of sly humor. Crichton takes time – too much of it sometimes – to reflect on the dangers of scientific egotism and hubris, irresponsible journalism and a legal system and a society that have become so greedy and litigious they fail to take ethics and morality into consideration. These are worthy goals for any writer and any novel – thriller or otherwise.
Dorman T. Shindler is a freelancer from Kansas City.
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Next
By Michael Crichton
Harper Collins, 448 pages, $27.95
