The Science of Michael Crichton

February 15, 2008
It was only a matter of time before the craze for science of analyses of popular books, TV series, and movies caught up with Crichton, who, from The Andromeda Strain (1969) to Jurassic Park (1990) and beyond, has sensationally blended plausible technology and barely credible scenarios. In 10 articles by noted science writers and fabulists, this slim volume separates fact from fiction in Crichtons best-known yarns. Computer science innovator Ray Kurzweil scrutinizes virtual reality as depicted in The Terminal Man (1972) and concludes that, although Crichtons dystopian vision may go to extremes, the technology of melding minds with microchips may be quite close to possible. Anthropologist Ian Tattersall takes on Crichtons overstated depiction of Neanderthals in Eaters of the Dead (1976). The most outstanding contribution, however, is meteorologist David Lawrences skewering of State of Fear (2004), Crichtons loosely fictionalized attempt to debunk global warming. Here, Lawrence forcefully argues that whatever writing chops Crichton possesses, sometimes he gets the science far more wrong than right.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)