Word: crichtons
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Remembrance of Things Past" series, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and "The Yellow Jar" attest, adapting other works into comix format can enrich not just the comix medium but the original as well. While we may not see any comix versions of the latest Michael Crichton there are plenty of (lapsed copyright) classics out there for otherwise unknown artists to rework into their own. If writers borrow and poets steal, let comix artists swipe...
Just how does Michael Crichton do it? His new novel, Prey (HarperCollins; 367 pages), lacks almost everything a good novel needs. It contains not one single quotable line of dialogue ("We have to help him!" "There's nothing we can do." That should give you a sense of it). It offers not one single well-realized character. It's riddled with plot holes you could drive a reconstituted brontosaurus through. And yet...and yet ...it does something few novels can manage: it holds your attention ruthlessly from start to finish...
With Prey Crichton goes from dino to nano: the baddie comes from the currently hot field of nanotechnology, the science of building microscopic machines. The hero is an unemployed computer whiz named Jack Forman, a likable blank who has the misfortune to be married to Julia, a workaholic exec at Xymos, a shady Silicon Valley start-up. Xymos builds tiny nanorobots that possess no intelligence of their own but can assemble themselves, insect-like, into swarms capable of solving complex problems, reproducing and even evolving. Since the thoughtless hubris of scientists is Crichton's Big Theme, all this must...
...somehow it all works. The faceless nanoswarms have an authentically surreal creepiness to them (they'll look great in the inevitable movie), but the real star of the show is Crichton's intricate plotting and flawless pacing, which deliver the necessary shocks and surprises at the precise intervals necessary to keep readers riveted until the more or less satisfying denouement. It lacks a human heart, but Prey is a relentlessly efficient machine that grips and doesn't let go. Don't try to resist. There's nothing you can do. --By Lev Grossman
...inquiry and introduced the world to the unfamiliar experience of reading about medieval theology while actually remaining awake. Eco helped invent the modern Euro-thriller: a sinfully addictive page turner that nevertheless leaves you feeling virtuous and cultured, without the hangover of shame that follows a sleepless night with Crichton or Clancy. This summer the Euro-thrillers are back, and they're not just good--they're good...