Crichton, Michael

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Crichton

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Michael

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  • PublicationOpen Access
    Next
    2006 - Crichton, Michael
    The novel has several plot threads, some of which intertwine, but all deal with bioengineering and the development and social and individual implications of state-of-the-art scientific research concerning gene manipulation. One plot thread follows Frank Burnet, who is subjected to a number of medical check-ups after contracting leukemia, having been found that he is abnormally resistant to it. The check-ups are revealed to be a pretext for gathering and researching his genes, and these are eventually sold to a company named BioGen, who proclaims that, having the rights to Frank’s blood cells, can force him and his descendants to donate them. As BioGen hires a bounty hunter so as to find Frank, he and his family are forced to run away. Other plot threads see the results of gene manipulation in the form of a transgenic chimpanzee that is able to talk and communicate with humans, and whose behaviour resembles that of a child, and a parrot that receives human genes and helps his owner’s son in a number of school tasks. Additionally, the potential danger of scientific innovation regarding gene manipulation is shown, for instance, through the character of Adam, who is exposed to a maturity gene and is able to cure his drug-addiction; unfortunately, he comes to see previous subjects dying of accelerated old age, implying that he too will suffer the same fate. Besides focusing on the particular stories of a number of characters, Next also provides information on the society that sees these scientific advancements, such as the public opinion regarding them, and the difficulties faced by the political sphere in regulating these recent discoveries.