Genetic Science… For some, its mere mention induces cold sweats and nausea. For others, this discipline beckons curiosity and offers promising possibilities. But wherever one lies on the continuum of understanding or interest, it must be said that this field is infusing almost every area of life whether we like it or not, including literature. From carefully researched publications in scholarly journals to glittering captions on fashion magazines, writings of all different sorts are finding something worth mentioning about this topic. And science fiction author Michael Crichton has not missed the boat. His latest work, entitled Next, explores some of the legal, ethical and social implications of genetic science amidst a backdrop of fictional and not-so-fictional intrigue.  

 Next reads like many best-selling novels-- succinct chapters, numerous plot lines, and scores of characters. The title itself is a clear summary of the book’s intention which is namely to provoke the reader into asking, “What is next,” or more specifically, “What does the future hold with regard to the onslaught of genetic advances?” Crichton’s literary techniques toward this end involve cleverly interweaving fact and fiction, narration through “false” scientific documents and news headlines, and increasingly outlandish genetic scenarios. Clearly, Crichton wants to convey the message that what seems bizarre to us today will not seem unlikely tomorrow. In fact, the ship has already sailed on some of the issues mentioned and Crichton suggests more than once that we are already living in a new world.  

Of the main story lines, one centering on a transgenic bird (a bird containing human genes) named Gerard is most humorous. Intelligent enough to compute math problems and sing in a foreign language, he is also the nemesis of his would-be chauffeur on a cross-country road trip. Gerard’s story intersects with another transgenic animal toward the end of the book, this time an ape named Dave. Dave is the result of an unauthorized experiment done by a scientist with research interests in autism while on sabbatical at the NIH. Finding that his experiment has succeeded, the scientist smuggles the ape out of Bethesda, across the country to California, and decides to keep the real identity of the animal incognito. Regulations with regard to genetic research are at stake with the presentation of both of these stories. On a different vein, the book describes a biotechnology company in possession of a promising, cancer-fighting cell line which sends out a bounty hunter to recapture more cells when the original ones are destroyed. Issues of tissue ownership, patenting of genes, and legal policy come to the fore here. Crichton states his own conclusions on these matters in a follow-up note at the end of the book along with a lengthy anotated bibliography on helpful genetic resources.                        

Crichton has crafted a worthy read in Next perhaps less due to his writing aptitude and more due to the chosen subject matter. His strength comes in his ability to push the reader toward consideration of actual or would-be genetic issues. He does this on the heels of the completion of a major scientific endeavor called the Human Genome project. This pursuit, completed in 2003, has, among other things, identified all human genes and made them accessible for further biological study.[1] In light of this, Crichton’s thrust to explore new possibilities and question their implications for humanity are to be commended particularly because these issues are more than strictly fiction. In a day when the culture’s logic is often seen through the technological advances of science, Christians can learn from Crichton in this regard: by taking an existing venue and joining the discussion in order to be salt and light. 

 I regret that I must recommend Next with reservation due to the obscene turn which some of the story lines take on the way to their resolution. I found this occasional graphic inclusion, mostly related to sexual content, unnecessary in proving the author’s main points. Aside from this, I might point out that Crichton makes huge leaps from many characters’ first underhanded dealings to the next. Though a bit unfounded, perhaps Crichton proves the notion of the slippery slope of depravity. In the end, I disagree with some of Crichton’s conclusions, including advocacy of free exploration in genetic research. Complete freedom does not always produce well-meaning results and some imposed limits are therefore necessary. I cannot, however, go so far as to chide Crichton for clearly stating his stance. On this point I rather applaud him. 

 After reading Next, one may not be cured of a disinclination for genetic science, but the work may prove helpful in one regard. By engaging the questions that Crichton sets forth, a more important question arises, namely, “How should we then live[2] as followers of Christ?” And the response to that question seems to make all the difference.