Do you own your body's cells? If a doctor develops a cure for a disease using your cells in the process, are you entitled to a share of the profits? These are some of the questions Crichton explores in his latest science-as-boogeyman polemic. Baker does all he can to give life to the characters, but they are little more than tools to convey the plot, so the author leaves him little to work with. Baker subtly shifts the tone of his voice to distinguish between characters and deftly alters the cadence of his speech to keep the narrative flowing. Despite his best efforts, though, Baker cannot turn the nonfiction interludes between chapters into anything remotely interesting. As if these weren't distracting enough, the multiple subplots make it quite difficult to keep track of what's going on, or how one plot line relates to another. Reading a book that goes in this many directions would be difficult enough, but on audio it's almost impossible to follow. Baker's performance is excellent all around, but listeners hoping Crichton would return to Jurassic Parkform will be left wanting. Simultaneous release with the S&S hardcover (reviewed online). (Jan.)
Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information
Next
Narrated by Dylan Baker
Michael CrichtonUnabridged — 13 hours, 52 minutes
Next
Narrated by Dylan Baker
Michael CrichtonUnabridged — 13 hours, 52 minutes
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Overview
Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why an adult human being resembles a chimp fetus? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction-is it worse than the disease?
We live in a time of momentous scientific leaps; a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars or test our spouses for genetic maladies. We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes . . .
Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems, and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn. Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions, and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect.
The future is closer than you think. Get used to it.
Performed by Dylan Baker
Editorial Reviews
Will cool your ardor for biotechnology. Crichton graphically portrays all the hideous things that can go wrong with genetic research. Critics carp that he exploitatively mixes fiction with fact to conjure up an array of Frankenstein-like outcomes. But so what? The last century showed us what the once popular, seemingly scientific idea of eugenics--the belief that we could improve human beings the way we improve animals and plants through selective breeding, planting and culling--led to. Most Western countries, including the U.S., forced sterilization on hundreds of thousands of people because the prevailing thought was that their bad genes shouldn't be passed on to future generations. The Nazis carried that idea to its murderous conclusion. (18 Jun 2007)
—Steve Forbes
Crichton's books dazzle listeners with technical jargon that sends them fleeing to an encyclopedia to find answers and actual characters who rub elbows with their fictitious counterparts. The subjects here are genetic engineering, genetic tampering, cross-cultural gene experiments, and stem cell research. Crichton screeches down the genetic highway at breakneck speed, tossing out truth and fiction in equal amounts. Can an African Grey parrot be able to carry on conversations with its owners? What about experiments to place commercial advertising on animals and fish? Throughout these flights of fancy are several story lines that bring the gene question down to a human level, pitting firm believers against equally firm opponents. Lawsuits that touch on the furthest reaches of genetic research confuse the jury and irritate the judges. Actor Dylan Baker has a multitude of voices to contend with as well as some tongue-twisting medical terms, and he handles the job very well. Some of his characters whine too much or speak sarcastically when the situation doesn't really call for it, and one has to wonder why journal headlines are read in a plummy British accent. Still, don't be diverted from diving head first into one of the most important fiction books of modern time. Highly recommended for all public libraries.
—Jodi L. Israel
NEXT is one of Mr. Crichton’s more un-put-downable novels. Its emphasis is on excitement.” — New York Times
“[Crichton’s] in top form with NEXT....There’s a lot to like and to scare you.” — USA Today
“[NEXT] is a tribute to Crichton’s storytelling skill...the docmentation he sprinkles throughout the narrative teases us with speculation.” — Los Angeles Times
“NEXT is a romp and a potboiler...a blockbuster science thriller...an entertaining read.” — Philadelphia Inquirer
“Under Crichton’s imaginative scrutiny, body-part theft, the extinction of blonds and transgenic experiments...all loom on the horizon.” — People
“His plot, involving a score of main characters and a dozen different strands, defies summary but is completely brilliant.” — Daily Mail (London)
“[Crichton] invites a mass audience irresistibly into some of the Most Important Conversations We’re Not Having.” — Time magazine
“Crichton creates a series of fascinating dramatic situations that hold a reader’s attention right down to the last page.” — NPR (All Things Considered)
“Crichton addresses complex contemporary issues...into thrilling reads.” — Newsweek
“Crichton has created a series of vivid, thought-provoking morality plays, presenting key questions engendered by genetic research.” — Globe and Mail (Toronto)
“Crichton’s latest techo-thriller raises fascinating ethical questions.” — Christian Science Monitor
“A compulsively readable beach book about the dawn of the biotech revolution.” — National Review
“You realize what [Crichton]’s fictionalizing could be happening now, not “Next.” And that’s what makes it all so terrifying.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“As entertaining as anything he has written since Jurassic Park.” — Dallas Morning News
“Read this book. It’s enough to scare the DNA out of you.” — Baton Rouge Advocate
“NEXT will frighten, worry and amuse you, and keep you thinking long after its final words are read. Highly recommended.” — Bookreporter.com
“A cracking pace...fast-moving plot with highly detailed research.” — Sunday Telegraph (Australia)
“The writing is mentally sharp, with vignettes that make you wonder if you are reading satire or simply mild exagerration.” — Houston Chronicle
“A satirical thriller that will have bookworms glued to their armchairs.” — Denver Post
“(Crichton) is one of the most reliable purveyors of brain-engaged popular fiction at work today.” — Sunday Express (London)
“It is devilishly clever...thoroughly enjoyable.” — Aberdeen Press & Journal [Scotland]
“Crichton sets up mind-boggling scenarios. The pace and intrigue last to the final page.” — News of the World (UK)
“A complex and credible extension of present reality into the realm of the imagination. A highly readable novel.” — South China Morning Post
“NEXT is a page-turner, natuarlly; deft and dashing, eminently professional. ” — Daily Telegraph (London)
“[Crichton’s] latest is in genetics and his literary success is assured.” — Mail on Sunday
“[Crichton] is a punchy, modern storyteller. NEXT is a popular thriller worth serious reading.” — Adelaide Advertiser
“A cracking dark tale about biotechnology and transgenics. Epic in style.” — Birmingham Post (UK)
“(Crichton) carouses through the landscape of scientific development, presenting one frightening possibility after another. Michael Crichton isn’t for scaredybabies.” — Daily News
“Wonderful...NEXT’s a regular romp.” — Evening Standard (UK)
“Provocative and entertaining.” — Calgary Sun
“NEXT is populated with blood-pressure-raising villains who will keep you turning the pages.” — Forbes
[NEXT] is a tribute to Crichton’s storytelling skill...the docmentation he sprinkles throughout the narrative teases us with speculation.
NEXT is a romp and a potboiler...a blockbuster science thriller...an entertaining read.
NEXT is one of Mr. Crichton’s more un-put-downable novels. Its emphasis is on excitement.
His plot, involving a score of main characters and a dozen different strands, defies summary but is completely brilliant.
[Crichton] invites a mass audience irresistibly into some of the Most Important Conversations We’re Not Having.
[Crichton’s] in top form with NEXT....There’s a lot to like and to scare you.
Crichton has created a series of vivid, thought-provoking morality plays, presenting key questions engendered by genetic research.
Crichton addresses complex contemporary issues...into thrilling reads.
Crichton creates a series of fascinating dramatic situations that hold a reader’s attention right down to the last page.
Under Crichton’s imaginative scrutiny, body-part theft, the extinction of blonds and transgenic experiments...all loom on the horizon.
[Crichton’s] in top form with NEXT....There’s a lot to like and to scare you.
Crichton addresses complex contemporary issues...into thrilling reads.
[NEXT] is a tribute to Crichton’s storytelling skill...the docmentation he sprinkles throughout the narrative teases us with speculation.
A complex and credible extension of present reality into the realm of the imagination. A highly readable novel.
As entertaining as anything he has written since Jurassic Park.
The writing is mentally sharp, with vignettes that make you wonder if you are reading satire or simply mild exagerration.
A satirical thriller that will have bookworms glued to their armchairs.
Crichton’s latest techo-thriller raises fascinating ethical questions.
Crichton sets up mind-boggling scenarios. The pace and intrigue last to the final page.
A cracking dark tale about biotechnology and transgenics. Epic in style.
A cracking pace...fast-moving plot with highly detailed research.
It is devilishly clever...thoroughly enjoyable.
Read this book. It’s enough to scare the DNA out of you.
NEXT is a page-turner, natuarlly; deft and dashing, eminently professional.
Wonderful...NEXT’s a regular romp.
[Crichton] is a punchy, modern storyteller. NEXT is a popular thriller worth serious reading.
You realize what [Crichton]’s fictionalizing could be happening now, not “Next.” And that’s what makes it all so terrifying.
(Crichton) is one of the most reliable purveyors of brain-engaged popular fiction at work today.
Provocative and entertaining.
NEXT will frighten, worry and amuse you, and keep you thinking long after its final words are read. Highly recommended.
A compulsively readable beach book about the dawn of the biotech revolution.
NEXT is populated with blood-pressure-raising villains who will keep you turning the pages.
(Crichton) carouses through the landscape of scientific development, presenting one frightening possibility after another. Michael Crichton isn’t for scaredybabies.
[Crichton’s] latest is in genetics and his literary success is assured.
A compulsively readable beach book about the dawn of the biotech revolution.
"Crichton has created a series of vivid, thought-provoking morality plays, presenting key questions engendered by genetic research."
"Crichton creates a series of fascinating dramatic situations that hold a reader’s attention right down to the last page."
"[Crichton] invites a mass audience irresistibly into some of the Most Important Conversations We’re Not Having."
"Under Crichton’s imaginative scrutiny, body-part theft, the extinction of blonds and transgenic experiments...all loom on the horizon."
[Crichton’s] latest is in genetics and his literary success is assured.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170151547 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 11/28/2006 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
Read an Excerpt
Next LP
By Michael Crichton
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
Copyright © 2006 Michael CrichtonAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0060873035
Chapter One
Division 48 of Los Angeles Superior Court was a wood-paneled room dominated by the great seal of the state of California. The room was small and had a tawdry feeling. The reddish carpet was frayed and streaked with dirt. The wood veneer on the witness stand was chipped, and one of the fluorescent lights was out, leaving the jury box darker than the rest of the room. The jurors themselves were dressed casually, in jeans and short-sleeve shirts. The judge's chair squeaked whenever the Honorable Davis Pike turned away to glance at his laptop, which he did often throughout the day. Alex Burnet suspected he was checking his e-mail or his stocks.
All in all, this courtroom seemed an odd place to litigate complex issues of biotechnology, but that was what they had been doing for the past two weeks in Frank M. Burnet v. Regents of the University of California.
Alex was thirty-two, a successful litigator, a junior partner in her law firm. She sat at the plaintiff's table with the other members of her father's legal team, and watched as her father took the witness stand. Although she smiled reassuringly, she was, in fact, worried about how he would fare.
Frank Burnet was a barrel-chested man who looked younger than his fifty-one years. He appeared healthy and confident as he was sworn in. Alex knew that her father's vigorous appearance could undermine hiscase. And, of course, the pretrial publicity had been savagely negative. Rick Diehl's PR team had worked hard to portray her dad as an ungrateful, greedy, unscrupulous man. A man who interfered with medical research. A man who wouldn't keep his word, who just wanted money.
None of that was true--in reality, it was the opposite of the truth. But not a single reporter had called her father to ask his side of the story. Not one. Behind Rick Diehl stood Jack Watson, the famous philanthropist. The media assumed that Watson was the good guy, and therefore her father was the bad guy. Once that version of the morality play appeared in the New York Times (written by the local entertainment reporter), everybody else fell into line. There was a huge "me, too" piece in the L.A. Times, trying to outdo the New York version in vilifying her father. And the local news shows kept up a daily drumbeat about the man who wanted to halt medical progress, the man who dared criticize UCLA, that renowned center of learning, the great hometown university. A half-dozen cameras followed her and her father whenever they walked up the courthouse steps.
Their own efforts to get the story out had been singularly unsuccessful. Her father's hired media advisor was competent enough, but no match for Jack Watson's well-oiled, well-financed machine.
Of course, members of the jury would have seen some of the coverage. And the impact of the coverage was to put added pressure on her father not merely to tell his story, but also to redeem himself, to contradict the damage already done to him by the press, before he ever got to the witness stand.
Her father's attorney stood and began his questions. "Mr. Burnet, let me take you back to the month of June, some eight years ago. What were you doing at that time?"
"I was working construction," her father said, in a firm voice. "Supervising all the welding on the Calgary natural gas pipeline."
"And when did you first suspect you were ill?"
"I started waking up in the night. Soaking wet, drenched."
"You had a fever?"
"I thought so."
"You consulted a doctor?"
"Not for a while," he said. "I thought I had the flu or something. But the sweats never stopped. After a month, I started to feel very weak. Then I went to the doctor."
"And what did the doctor tell you?"
"He said I had a growth in my abdomen. And he referred me to the most eminent specialist on the West Coast. A professor at UCLA Medical Center, in Los Angeles."
"Who was that specialist?"
"Dr. Michael Gross. Over there." Her father pointed to the defendant, sitting at the next table. Alex did not look over. She kept her gaze on her father.
"And were you subsequently examined by Dr. Gross?"
"Yes, I was."
"He conducted a physical exam?"
"Yes."
"Did he do any tests at that time?"
"Yes. He took blood and he did X-rays and a CAT scan of my entire body. And he took a biopsy of my bone marrow."
"How was that done, Mr. Burnet?"
"He stuck a needle in my hipbone, right here. The needle punches through the bone and into the marrow. They suck out the marrow and analyze it."
"And after these tests were concluded, did he tell you his diagnosis?"
"Yes. He said I had acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia."
"What did you understand that disease to be?"
"Cancer of the bone marrow."
"Did he propose treatment?"
"Yes. Surgery and then chemotherapy."
"And did he tell you your prognosis? What the outcome of this disease was likely to be?"
"He said that it wasn't good."
"Was he more specific?"
"He said, probably less than a year."
"Did you subsequently get a second opinion from another doctor?"
"Yes, I did."
"With what result?"
"My diagnosis was . . . he, uh . . . he confirmed the diagnosis." Her father paused, bit his lip, fighting emotion. Alex was surprised. He was usually tough and unemotional. She felt a twinge of concern for him, even though she knew this moment would help his case. "I was scared, really scared," her father said. "They all told me . . . I didn't have long to live." He lowered his head.
The courtroom was silent.
"Mr. Burnet, would you like some water?"
"No. I'm fine." He raised his head, passed his hand across his forehead. "Please continue when you're ready."
"I got a third opinion, too. And everybody said to me that Dr. Gross was the best doctor for this disease."
Continues...
Excerpted from Next LP by Michael Crichton Copyright © 2006 by Michael Crichton. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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