Jurassic Park

I walked into this expecting dinosaur horror and came away with science and intelligent social commentary. Dr. Malcolm has significantly more space on the written page to delight us with Chaos theory and criticisms of human arrogance, and I am here for it!

While Jurassic Park delivers on horror, death, and danger, it also manages to deliver some thoughtful themes that go deeper than “science is dangerous.” We explore the responsibility we have to keep the power of scientific advancement with experts operating with the temperance that expertise confers.

Thoughtful sci-fi like Jurassic Park must always come with a dose… show more.

I think this is the most influential dinosaur novel of recent times. It has spawned sequels, imitators, and movies galore. Based on a catchy, if unrealistic, premise of cloning dinosaurs from DNA preserved in amber, it delivers a spellbinding plot of life-or-death confrontations with vicious beasts of the past.

I loved the cast of characters from paleontologists Dr. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler to saboteur computer whiz Dennis Nedry to chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm. This story has elements of techno-thriller, science fiction adventure, and people-vs-monsters tales that I love best.

Dinosaur-focused fiction is way underrepresented due to the industry’s… show more.

What is there to say about this book that has not already been said? While the Lost World gave dinosaurs their place in the public consciousness, Jurassic Park gave them their place in modern pop culture. I have always loved this book for its many original ideas and concepts.

While it was inspired by earlier works such as The Island of Dr. Moreau and the aforementioned Lost World, it managed to combine the ideas of man manipulating nature and an untamed wilderness of prehistoric beasts seamlessly. I also appreciate how unapologetically dark and macabre the original novel was compared… show more.

Due to all the films based on the book, everyone is probably very familiar with the story: a billionaire uses technology to bring dinosaurs back to life, creates a theme park, and dinosaurs run amuck.

Here’s the thing: I read the book when it came out in 1990. At the time, I was working in a genetics laboratory. I was still 14 years away from writing full-time. I was even familiar with the research Crichton based the novel on. It was a 1982 research story about scientists who were able to collect DNA and other data from a fossil fly… show more.

I couldn't resist putting this in here. The book is as much of a treat as a movie and has its own darker vibe. It's the first “grown-up” book I ever read, and it's rewarded re-reads over the years. Like with Ira Levin, it's amazing to see a high-concept pulled off so well, and even now, you have to applaud what Crichton did with it.

It built in me a healthy respect for science and a skepticism of big business, and even now it makes me feel that wonder I had when I first read it. 

Crichton is in a league of his own when it comes to research, in my opinion. For me, Crichton set the benchmark for speculative fiction writers. I truly believe this.

He is a master storyteller because of his ability to take complex subject matter and translate it for the layperson. And somehow, at the same time, he weaves it all into a believable, action-packed story like Jurassic Park. Also, I love dinosaurs. So, there’s that.

This was the book that got me into reading. It has everything: an intriguing premise, great characters, wondrous, yet terrifying creatures, action, suspense, humor, and a hefty dose of intellect.

These days, most people know Jurassic Park by its film franchise. When the first movie released in 1993, audiences were floored. And don’t get me wrong, it’s objectively a great movie, with wonderful acting and cutting-edge special effects for its time. But at the time? I was disappointed.

I had already read the book more than once and was looking forward to seeing its entire story brought to life on… show more.

I’ve read Jurassic Park several times, along with its sequels, and watched all the movies. But no matter how many times I open the book that started the franchise, the story still feels as fresh as it did thirty years ago.

Maybe that’s because I love to marvel at the idea of seeing living, breathing dinosaurs—at the immense power that makes our AI and smartphones look feeble in comparison.

Or maybe it’s because Crichton’s tale was the perfect blend between high concept and straight-up adventure. Either way, there’s still nothing that quite matches the fun of getting lost in… show more.

I really loved reading this in its original form. So used to the film, I found the novel jarring at first but grew to love it more than the film as there is so much more content, science, and character development.

I found the written word carried so much more depth and narrative, and the story just went on and on, way past the events of the film, and to be fair I hadn’t given Crichton enough merit for the amount of work he’d put into the original idea, and there is a lot of work here. Fabulous noel, and… show more.

Remember how irritating the mathematician character was in the Jurassic Park movie?

He’s way worse in this book. And that little girl who gets stuck in the park with Alan Grant? In the book, you want her to get eaten by a dinosaur. But neither of those annoyances diminish the power and prescience of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, because we have seen and experienced these types of “gain of function” projects, some with unexpected results.

One of the most famous quotes in the book is “Scientists are actually preoccupied with accomplishment. So they are focused on whether they can do… show more.