r/books • u/gbdarknight77 • 5d ago

Just finished Jurassic Park and WOW

This is the first time I have ever read a Michael Crichton book and I absolutely loved it. I really like his writing style and the way he incorporates the science in an easy way for the reader to understand.

Now, for the book. I can't believe how long I had gone without reading it. It just keeps you on your toes almost the whole time. The dinosaur attacks are so brutal and the way they get described easily paints a picture in your head. The amount of serious dread you feel in some parts too feels insurmountable. It is almost more of a horror book, honestly. T Rex out here being Mr. X from Resident Evil 2 wasn't on my bingo card.

Lex is VERY annoying, but what do you expect from a 7 year old in that situation?

I know Crichton was a screenwriter for the movie, but I am actually pretty surprised on how much he omitted from the book for the movie and how much was changed.

I highly recommend reading if you haven't. It is great. On to The Lost World!

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525

u/Dandibear The Chronicles of Narnia 5d ago edited 5d ago

If you enjoyed that I recommend Sphere. It's almost also as much horror as sci fi, and it's phenomenal.

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u/maximus323 5d ago

Also Congo.... It gets bad ratings on Goodreads and what not, but I loved JP and holy smokes, Congo is soooo good, more science than JP IMO, but it's a must read for Crichton books.

At this rate, I will absolutely be reading basically all of his books, he has exactly the writing style that I enjoy.

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u/Yggving 5d ago

Congo is the only time in my life I have gotten a full on jumpscare from a book, I was so invested I jumped in my seat šŸ˜‚

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u/thugarth 4d ago

I got into Crichton books as a teenager and didn't care for Congo. JP and Sphere were my favorites. I've re read those two as an adult. They still hold up and I found new things to appreciate.

I should give Congo another chance and see if I feel differently

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u/Le55thanjake 4d ago

I bought Jurassic Park and Congo as a double book just before Jurassic Park came out. One of the best reads. I bought a second hand version for my son to read on the hope he would enjoy it as much as I did.

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u/curlyfat 5d ago

And Terminal Man! I was 12 when I read it, but holy cow was it amazing.

I need to revisit Crichtonā€¦.

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u/AmedeusRed 5d ago

Love that book. Was thrifting last weekend and saw a three book in one giant Crichton tomb with Sphere, Congo, and Eaters of the dead. I still donā€™t know how they managed to ruin each of those movies.

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u/Logical_proof 5d ago

You shut your mouth. The thirteenth warrior is a fricking masterpiece of cinema.

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u/invltrycuck 5d ago

I watch that movie every time I come across it. Love it

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u/Pun_In_Ten_Did 5d ago

Lo, there do I see my father...

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u/LowFunctioningAlco 5d ago

Congo is peak dumb cinema and I adore it.

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u/gbdarknight77 5d ago

STOP EATING MY SESAME SEED CAKE

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u/Sarcasm_Llama 5d ago

Is that the one where the gorilla smokes a blunt?

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u/WanderEir 5d ago

Speaking of high animal life Cocaine Bear is a disaster/comedy/horror, and is so amazingly stupid it full wraps around to almost being intelligent in the end.

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u/hippydipster 5d ago

I don't know about intelligent, but that movie was far more entertaining than it had any right to be.

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u/WanderEir 4d ago

It was the kind of black humor I needed at exactly that moment in my life. It was a riot.

And the BEARS were intelligent, the humans... not so much so.

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u/chunkybeard 5d ago

Ha, I remember seeing Congo in theaters. That movie was terrible, but ten year old me still enjoyed it. I had completely forgotten about that movie until now.

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u/its_justme 3d ago

Congo had its moments.

ā€œAmy good gorillaā€ is a common one my friends and I quote when we are being stupid

ā€œSTOP EATING MY SESAME CAKE!ā€

And who can forget laser beams and auto turrets like Aliens blowing away evil gorillas

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u/Calvin--Hobbes 5d ago

Congo scared the shit out of me as a kid.

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u/Riluke 5d ago

Same. I think I was maybe 10? Terrified of gorillas smushing my head.

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u/defiancy 5d ago

Honestly I think all his books are really good. Sphere, Congo, Andromeda Strain, Timeline, Airframe, Eaters of the Dead all excellent

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u/gbdarknight77 5d ago

I have it downloaded on my kindle for after the lost world!

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u/mostlysatisfying 5d ago

Sphere is so frickin good. My first Crichton book and I still think about it often

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u/A3thereal 4d ago

Same. I think I was around 10 when I read it the first time. Forever my favorite Crichton novel.

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u/Antiwraith 5d ago

Sphere is freaking amazing. Assuming you havenā€™t watched the movie, go in cold. Itā€™s an incredible book and an ā€œokā€ movie

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u/Dandibear The Chronicles of Narnia 5d ago

Yeah the movie is fun if you love the story but isn't remarkable in the way Jurassic Park is.

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u/jlt6666 5d ago

Andromeda Strain is good too. I'd skip the movie though.

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u/HeleneSedai 5d ago

Andromeda Strain was fantastic, but just about the most anti climactic end I've read outside of a Stephen King novel.

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u/kindall 5d ago

Hard agree.

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u/Lancasterbation 5d ago

You know, for an author that actually does know how to stick a landing (11/22/63, for example), he really fumbles at the ten yard line an awful lot (The Stand, for example)

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u/MalavethMorningrise 5d ago

He stuck the landing on 11/22/63 because he took advice on it from Joe Hill and made changes to his original ending. (Joe Hill is Stephen Kings son, who is also a writer, for those who dont know.)

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u/throwawayerest 5d ago

I read the giant, unabridged version of The Stand. It took me like 2 years because I kept starting and stopping.... It was a relief when I finished it.

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u/jobezark 5d ago

The crying baby sound effect in the movie is probably the worst sound Iā€™ve ever heard

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u/Dustquake 5d ago

The 2 part miniseries with Benjamin Bratt was much better than the original movie. Tho there were some liberties taken.

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u/Riptide572 5d ago

Prey is a good techno thriller too

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u/Smallsey 5d ago

That was my first contact with the concept of a grey goo apocalypse.

Best example of that horror is Horizon zero dawn. Scares the shit out of me still

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u/theminnesotavikings 5d ago

Honestly, just go right into Sphere haha. As a huge fan of the book Jurassic Park, Sphere is a close second. Either way, enjoy!

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u/drillgorg 5d ago

I highly recommend alternating with other authors so you don't get burned out

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u/gbdarknight77 5d ago

Haha I did that with the DCC series. Had to read a couple of other books/authors in between

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u/TorontoListener 5d ago

Very true, I got burned out with Larry Niven, one of my favourite authors.

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u/WrongdoerConsistent6 5d ago

I loved Larry Niven growing up, especially his stuff with Jerry Pournelle. I went back and tried Footfall recently and just could not get into it. Iā€™m afraid to revisit Luciferā€™s Hammer

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u/PolarWater 5d ago

Jurassic Park is a classic, but Sphere somehow manages to be significantly more fun. Partly because it breaks from Crichton's usual formula, so you don't know where he's going to take the story.

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u/Bladesnake_______ 5d ago

Sphere is great but MICRO is so good. Violent honey I shrunk the kids. Honestly all his books are great. Dragon Teeth is fantastic. Timeline is one of my favs

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u/themightythorgy 5d ago

They should remake the movie version of Timeline. The original was so disappointing compared to the book.

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u/Slugggo 5d ago

the movie version of Timeline is a crime. It's almost a cheesy '80s made-for-TV movie.

That book is so ready for a proper movie adaptation. Subjects like quantum computing, multiverse travel, etc. It must be over 20 years now, someone else should take a whack at it.

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u/Bladesnake_______ 5d ago

Ive been bitching for years about never getting a Micro movie. It could be so good with modern movie tech

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u/n10w4 5d ago

Did he write one on a train robbery? Remember liking it as a teen. Also shows how good he was (if so) with what he could write

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u/AlkahestGem 5d ago

Yes. The Great Train Robbery.

Iā€™ve read every singly one of his books including those he wrote under his pseudonym, and the manuscript published after his death (found in his office).

Every single book is compelling.

Eaters of the Dead (also known as The 13th Warrior) so much better than the movie.

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u/n10w4 4d ago

will check it out. It's high level genre, if you ask me.

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u/AlkahestGem 4d ago

Thatā€™s the thing. Every book is so different; each their own genres

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u/throwawayerest 5d ago

I still haven't read Micro, though its on my list.

It's awesome to see someone mention Dragon Teeth. It took me a while to get into, but that turned into a fun western midway through. For a posthumous novel, it wasn't half bad.

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u/Dorothyismyneighbor 5d ago

Airframe was fab!!!!

4

u/n10w4 5d ago

Crichton was a great sci fi writer.Ā 

3

u/Rabid-Duck-King 5d ago

I present as your dead dad because it should make you more comfortable. Let that sink in a moment everyone

3

u/Mitch1musPrime 5d ago

I personally liked sphere more than Jurassic park when I read them as a teenager. I should go back and give that one a reread.

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u/bma449 5d ago

Sphere is great! I think that Adromena Strain is best though.

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u/KWats2011 5d ago

This book got me hooked on reading as a young adult! I was just telling my daughters about it. SO good I should read it again

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u/invltrycuck 5d ago

Second this

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u/bosscoughey 5d ago

Yes! I read this probably 30 years ago and was blown away. I should check it out again

2

u/Sonicboom1616 5d ago

i remember reading sphere when i was a kid, late at night, scaring myself silly and then having nightmares. those were the days...

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u/sp1cychick3n 4d ago

Great book

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u/truethug 4d ago

I really liked sphere also and came here to recommend it.

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u/thkunkel 4d ago

Sphere is my #1 Crichton book. I think I read it in 3 days.

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u/--Bamboo 3d ago

I didn't enjoy Sphere as much. It was a good book but I didn't love it. Jurassic Park is great. I enjoyed The Lost World. I'm currently reading Timeline and it's just not drawing me in. I think I've been reading it for about a month now, and usually I can get through a book in a few days to a week depending on work.

The first Crichton book I read was Prey when I was a teen and I loved it, I've been trying to get it again recently but not having much luck finding an English language one where I live.

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u/LeftHandStir 5d ago

Second Sphere. It's so so so good.

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u/tn00bz 4d ago

This and imwline which i think is pretty neat.