Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Jurassic Park
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
Scientists are actually preoccupied with accomplishment. So they are focused on whether they can do something. They never stop to ask if they should do something.
Past Michael Crichton review:
Review
Jurassic Park is a cautionary tale about scientific hubris. The story tells of a resort in Costa Rica where scientists have recreated dinosaurs. A group of people is invited to the park prior to its public opening for a test run. Things quickly go awry and the humans on the island have to figure out a way to escape the resort while also preventing the dinosaurs from reaching the mainland.
The story is compelling because, as with all good science fiction, there is enough of a nugget of truth for the story to be theoretically possible in reality. To that effect Crichton nailed it. The topics of both paleontology and genetic engineering are very well-researched by Chrichton and he drops nuggets of his research throughout the book. The story has thriller elements that are well executed. The character development, unfortunately, takes a back seat. The characters are paper thin, and some of them, such as Lex, are hilariously unlikeable. Crichton gives a warning about scientific development without constraints through his character Malcolm, whose view is that science is destroying itself by having too much power. The warning holds as true as ever, but instead of genetically engineering dinosaurs, the real threat comes from AI development without thoughtful execution.
Conclusion
An entertaining thriller with some timely ideas.