Rajat Arya

Read in November 2008 while on Roadtrip to Seattle.  Purchased from used bookstore on University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus.

This is an old story but well written and classic Crichton.  This is his first fictional novel, based in the 1960s (when it was written) and since it is about the controversial topic of abortion Crichton chose to write it under a pseudonym.  The story boils down to a murder mystery about a girl who was getting an illegal abortion in a Boston hospital.  The main character’s job is to find out what really happened and free the doctor who is being setup for the death.  Subtle social commentary as the doctor being setup is Chinese and everyone in the hospital knows he performs abortions on the side.

Well worth the read, read more about it and buy it here.

Read in October 2005.

This is the latest book by Michael Crichton – he finally got back to doing proper Science Fiction – with the emphasis on the science. The story is about global warming, and the premise is that terrorists may be the environmentalists trying to validate the causes they support.

The story is littered with references as if it is an academic paper, but it has very similar character development as Timeline. The hero is presented as a wimpy anti-hero (and he’s a lawyer this time) but over the course of events (where there isn’t much of an explanation why he’s on the adventure) he becomes tougher and more like the real hero.

The story is quick moving and fun to read. It has parts that read like a movie, but it is much much much better than Prey.

Read in December 2003.

Read from August 2002 to September 2002.

Read in July 2002.