I found this one in the Houston Airport. In fact I’ve been finding a lot of books in airports lately. Within 3 hours of walking around IAH I picked up two more books along with Next. One sitting on top of a trash can and the other on top of a newspaper dispenser. Thanks to who ever left them.
The last Michael Crichton book I read was Prey
. It was okay, but I didn’t really get into it. Not like Jurassic Park
. But it wasn’t as bad as Congo
or Sphere
. Next is somewhere in the middle. Technology gone awry. Similar to Prey but a little more preachy. More like what I’ve heard about State of Fear
. I like science fiction. Especially when the fiction takes current or almost here technology and looks to the possible uses and misuses. Next does this very well. It follows a couple of storylines, all related to genetic modification and the patenting of genes. Some of the scenarios are rather disturbing. Transgenic animals (human genes combined with an animal), which as currently done doesn’t bother me, but in the book it is taken to extremes. Another story line follows Mr. Burnet, whose cells were sold to a biotechnology company by his doctor who then patented his genes . When the company needs more cells and Mr. Burnet has disappeared, a bounty hunter is sent after his daughter and grandson. The idea? The biotechnology company owns his cells. They can get more whenever they want. Since Mr. Burnet is not available they will go to this kin as they have half of Mr. Burnet’s genes. The company considers them fugitives, walking around with genes that belong to the company. Don’t worry. A judge doesn’t agree with the idea that the company owns the relatives cells but the thought is outrageous. Currently hundreds, if not thousands of patents have been granted to Universities and companies for genes.
After the book ends there are two more interesting parts. A bibliography where Michael Crichton gives a few thoughts about each book listed and an Author’s note where he lists a few conclusions to help prevent the story in the book from coming true, or at least give the public some protection and bring common sense to the patent office. If you go to Michael Crichton’s website and look up Next he lists which of the stories in book are true. Nice.
A fast, interesting, frightening look into our future? You’ll have to read it to decide. Or you could just watch a soap opera because that’s about how the story is presented where every chapter switches to a different character.
