Jurassic Park

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English

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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Timeline, Sphere, and Congo, this is the classic thriller of science run amok that took the world by storm.Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read“[Michael] Crichton’s dinosaurs are genuinely frightening.”—Chicago Sun-Times An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price. Until something goes wrong. . . . In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific brilliance to create his most electrifying technothriller.Praise for Jurassic Park “Wonderful . . . powerful.”The Washington Post Book World“Frighteningly real . . . compelling . . . It’ll keep you riveted.”—The Detroit News “Full of suspense.”The New York Times Book Review

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ISBN
9780345538987
9781613835050
9780345370778
9780307763051
9780394588162
9780345418951

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Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the theme "playing god"; and the subjects "genetic engineering," "clones and cloning," and "human experimentation in medicine."
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful and fast-paced, and they have the genre "science fiction thrillers"; and the subjects "genetic engineering" and "clones and cloning."
The captivating blend of science, suspense, and horrifying danger in Jurassic Park will definitely appeal to those readers who loved the same genre blurring in Relic. -- Krista Biggs
Chimera - Grant, Mira
Both fast-paced bio-thrillers examine the effects of unchecked scientific experimentation. In Jurassic Park, geneticists recreate dinosaurs, which quickly turn against their handlers. In Chimera, tapeworms engineered to be medical devices take over their hosts' bodies. Chimera has a more menacing tone. -- Krista Biggs
Gruesome surprises ensue when scientifically engineered dinosaurs (Jurassic Park) and newly discovered dragons -- er, pterosaurs (Great Zoo) -- run amok in these science fiction-tinged thrillers. Both skim questions of human greed and scientific ethics, but slam-bang action takes center stage. -- Kim Burton
Altered - Rush, Jennifer
These books have the appeal factors suspenseful, fast-paced, and intricately plotted, and they have the themes "playing god" and "altered memories"; the genre "science fiction thrillers"; and the subjects "genetic engineering," "clones and cloning," and "human experimentation in medicine."
These books have the genre "science fiction thrillers"; and the subjects "islands," "genetic engineering," and "scientists."
These books have the theme "playing god"; the genre "science fiction thrillers"; and the subjects "genetic engineering," "scientists," and "clones and cloning."
Science fiction thriller fans will want to check out these atmospheric, fast-paced novels about a special agent (Extinction) or a group of scientists (Jurassic Park) who discover startling secrets connected to a park where scientists resurrect extinct animals. -- CJ Connor
Whether creating super-predators in Jurassic Park or wreaking environmental havoc on more sympathetic creatures in Hummingbird Salamander, greedy billionaires are the villains in these action-packed, descriptive, and thought-provoking suspense thrillers that flip the traditional Man versus Nature storyline. -- Alicia Cavitt
These books have the appeal factors thought-provoking, and they have the genre "science fiction thrillers"; and the subjects "amusement parks" and "clones and cloning."
In these suspenseful action-packed novels, characters holed up at high-tech compounds are preyed upon by dinosaurs (Jurassic Park) and Sasquatches (Devolution). -- Kaitlin Conner

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Though Robin Cook's subject matter is more tightly focused and his prose style is less cerebral than Michael Crichton's, readers who enjoy Crichton's suspenseful cautionary tales may also like Cook's exciting medical thrillers. -- Victoria Fredrick
Readers who like Michael Crichton's occasional combination of weird science with exotic backdrops may also enjoy James Rollins. Adventurous heroes in extreme settings fend off alien technologies, bizarre bio-threats, and maniacal villains bent on world domination. -- Krista Biggs
Blake Crouch and Michael Crichton write suspenseful, thought-provoking fiction which crosses genres, but skews towards the speculative -- pondering questions of "what if" in an entertaining and engaging way. Their well-drawn characters invite empathy and compassion as they make difficult decisions in the face of danger and uncertainty. -- Halle Carlson
Combining the technological details and speculative imagination more commonly found in science fiction with the pace and action of the suspense genre, these authors provide both provocative assessments of the human race and the thrills and chills of the best battles between good and evil. -- NoveList Advisor
Readers need not have a science background to appreciate the compelling, fast-paced, richly detailed science fiction stories of Michael Crichton and Hugh Howey. Both authors make imaginative scenarios centering on futuristic technologies seem completely plausible. Crichton's stories take place on familiar territory while Howey's are set in different worlds. -- Alicia Cavitt
Though Michael Crichton and Tess Gerritsen both write across an extensive variety of genres, fans of fast-paced, suspenseful and richly detailed medical thrillers will find many appealing titles in both of their catalogs. -- Stephen Ashley
Scientists and pseudo-scientists encounter strange phenomena in unusual settings in the fast-paced suspense thrillers of Michael Rutger and Michael Crichton. Fans of exciting blockbuster science fiction films will enjoy all the heart-racing near misses and plot twists in the exciting books by both authors. -- Alicia Cavitt
Both Michael Crichton and Ramez Naam write fast-paced and thought-provoking speculative thrillers focused on science and technology and full of intriguing details and compelling prose. -- Stephen Ashley
Both David Koepp and Michael Crichton write fast-paced, action-packed, compelling, plot-driven suspense thrillers that dramatically illustrate the alarming potential of emerging technologies and undiscovered biological threats. Both authors have written medical thrillers and science fiction novels that follow the formula of popular Hollywood blockbusters. -- Alicia Cavitt
Though Remi Adeleke's work is a bit more militaristic than Michael Crichton's more thought-provoking catalog, both are known for fast-paced, suspenseful techno-thrillers packed full of intriguing details. -- Stephen Ashley
Michael Crichton and Matthew Reilly both write science fiction stories that are action-packed, fast-paced, compelling, and suspenseful and feature courageous characters fighting for survival against biological, technological, or alien threats. -- Alicia Cavitt
Robert J. Sawyer and Michael Crichton write fast-paced, suspenseful science fiction that explores the impact of discoveries and technologies on human existence. Their thought-provoking stories highlight philosophical and moral questions. Both authors have written about paleontologists, dinosaurs, and alien intelligence and have set their stories in the past, present, and future. -- Alicia Cavitt

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Crichton whips up suspense while delivering a pointed condemnation of ungoverned genetic engineering in this irresistible blending of dinosaur lore, future science, and nonstop action.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Bioengineers clone 15 species of dinosaurs and establish an island preserve where tourists can view the large reptiles; chaos ensues when a rival genetics firm attempts to steal frozen dinosaur embryos, and it's up to two kids, a safari guide and a paleontologist to set things right. PW called this, ``A scary, creepy, mesmerizing technothriller with teeth.'' (Dec.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

YA-- Massive sums spent on biotechnology, 24 Cray supercomputers sent to a fog-shrouded island off Costa Rica, and expert advice bought from paleontologists have combined to produce the most incredible amusement park of all time. Jurassic Park is inhabited by real dinosaurs, over 200 of them, all cloned from snippets of ancient DNA. Crichton is a master at blending technology with fiction, creating a tale all the more terrifying because it could happen. And the terror is heightened when dinosaurs escape from their barricaded area on the island, an event occasioned by the foolhardiness of relying on technology to control their range. Readers can just imagine being caught in the open with these dinosaurs after there's been a massive power outage on the island. Suspense, excitement, and good adventure pervade this book--and few YAs will be able to resist it.-- Pam Spencer, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

Genetically engineered dinosaurs run amok in Crichton's new, vastly entertaining science thriller. From the introduction alone--a classically Crichton-clear discussion of the implications of biotechnological research--it's evident that the Harvard M.D. has bounced back from the science-fantasy silliness of Sphere (1987) for another taut reworking of the Frankenstein theme, as in The Andromeda Strain and The Terminal Man. Here, Dr. Frankenstein is aging billionaire John Hammond, whose monster is a manmade ecosystem based on a Costa Rican island. Designed as the world's ultimate theme park, the ecosystem boasts climate and flora of the Jurassic Age and--most spectacularly--15 varieties of dinosaurs, created by elaborate genetic engineering that Crichton explains in fascinating detail, rich with dino-lore and complete with graphics. Into the park, for a safety check before its opening, comes the novel's band of characters--who, though well drawn, double as symbolic types in this unsubtle morality play. Among them are hero Alan Grant, noble paleontologist; Hammond, venal and obsessed; amoral dino-designer Henry Wu; Hammond's two innocent grandchildren; and mathematician Ian Malcolm, who in long diatribes serves as Crichton's mouthpiece to lament the folly of science. Upon arrival, the visitors tour the park; meanwhile, an industrial spy steals some dino embryos by shutting down the island's power--and its security grid, allowing the beasts to run loose. The bulk of the remaining narrative consists of dinos--ferocious T. Rex's, voracious velociraptors, venom-spitting dilophosaurs--stalking, ripping, and eating the cast in fast, furious, and suspenseful set-pieces as the ecosystem spins apart. And can Grant prevent the dinos from escaping to the mainland to create unchecked havoc? Though intrusive, the moralizing rarely slows this tornado-paced tale, a slick package of info-thrills that's Crichton's most clever since Congo (1980)--and easily the most exciting dinosaur novel ever written. A sure-fire best-seller. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

An island off Costa Rica will soon be the world's most ambitious theme park--a dinosaur preserve. A visionary financier's biotechnology company has succeeded in cloning these extinct reptiles. Fifteen different species, presumably incapable of breeding, are now placidly roaming around, but Jurassic Park's resident mathematician, an expert in chaos theory, predicts that the animals' behavior is inherently unstable. When a rival genetics firm attempts to steal frozen dinosaur embryos, things go haywire. Two cute American kids, eight-year-old Tina and 11-year-old Tim, a safari guide from Kenya and a Denver paleontologist set things aright--almost. Though the dinosaurs here are more interesting than the people, Crichton ( The Andromeda Strain ) ingeniously interweaves details of genetic engineering, computer wizardry and current scientific controversy over dinosaurs to fashion a scary, creepy, mesmerizing techno-thriller with teeth. It can be read as a thought-provoking fable about technological hubris and the hazards of bioengineering. 150,000 first printing; Literary Guild main selection; movie rights sold to Steven Spielberg/Universal Pictures . (Nov.) Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information.

Copyright 1990 Cahners Business Information.
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School Library Journal Reviews

YA-- Massive sums spent on biotechnology, 24 Cray supercomputers sent to a fog-shrouded island off Costa Rica, and expert advice bought from paleontologists have combined to produce the most incredible amusement park of all time. Jurassic Park is inhabited by real dinosaurs, over 200 of them, all cloned from snippets of ancient DNA. Crichton is a master at blending technology with fiction, creating a tale all the more terrifying because it could happen. And the terror is heightened when dinosaurs escape from their barricaded area on the island, an event occasioned by the foolhardiness of relying on technology to control their range. Readers can just imagine being caught in the open with these dinosaurs after there's been a massive power outage on the island. Suspense, excitement, and good adventure pervade this book--and few YAs will be able to resist it.-- Pam Spencer, Jefferson Sci-Tech, Alexandria, VA Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information.
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