Synopses & Reviews
Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction—is it worse than the disease?
We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars or test our spouses for genetic maladies. We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes . . .
Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems, and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn. Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions, and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect.
The future is closer than you think. Get used to it.
Performed by Dylan Baker
Synopsis
In a near-future world where biotechnology and genetic research has become big business, the discovery of several transgenic animals leads to a legal and ethical battle over the rights to genes that can be used for commercial purposes.
Synopsis
Welcome to our genetic world. Fast, furious and out of control. This is not the world of the future it's the world right now. Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table the same species? Human and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction - is it worse than the disease? We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars; test our spouses for genetic maladies and even frame someone for a genetic crime. We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes... Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world w
Synopsis
Praise for State of Fear:
'dense with cliffhangers and chases and derringandndash;do ... Crichton knows how to write a thriller of cyclonic speed and intensity. Certainly one of the more unusual novels of the year for its highandndash;level mix of education and entertainment, with a decidedly daring contrarian take, this takeandndash;noandndash;prisoners consideration of environmentalism wrapped in extravagantly enjoyable pages is one of the most memorable novels of the year and is bound to be a #1 bestseller' Publishers Weekly
'Michael Crichton delivers a lightning technopolitical thriller... every bit as informative as it is entertaining' Wall Street Journal
'One of our most gifted popular novelists, Crichton specializes in cuttingandndash;edge science fused with suspense. Crichton's fecund imagination and considerable storytelling talent have brought pleasure to millions. A master. A connoisseur of catastrophe' Los Angeles Times
'The thrills of Crichton's latest are interspersed with fascinating facts and data. Perhaps his most serious and important book yet' Booklist
About the Author
Michael Crichton has sold over 200 million books, which have been translated into thirty-six languages; thirteen of his books have been made into films. His novels include
Next,
State of Fear,
Timeline,
Jurassic Park, and
The Andromeda Strain. Also known as a filmmaker and the creator of
ER, he remains the only writer to have had the number-one book, movie, and TV show simultaneously. At the time of Crichton's death in 2008, he was well into the writing of
Micro; Richard Preston was selected to complete the novel.
Richard Preston is an internationally acclaimed best-selling author of eight books, including The Hot Zone and The Wild Trees. Many of Preston's books have first appeared in The New Yorker. He has won numerous awards, including the American Institute of Physics Award and the National Magazine Award, and he is the only person not a medical doctor to receive the Centers for Disease Control's Champion of Prevention Award for public health. He lives with his wife and three children near Princeton, New Jersey.