Source
r/books•
IClee

Most underrated Michael Crichton book?

In your opinion, what is Michael Crichton's most underrated book?

Bonus: what is his most Overrated?

Mine would be Airframe, who would have thought that a thriller in the airline industry would work so well. The story in combination with the amount of research he puts into his books make this a gem.

Bonus: don't get me wrong I love Jurassic park, BUT it's a bit overrated. Might feel that way because I saw the movie first? Tell me I'm wrong.

Posted Apr 11, 2020, 10:32 AM UTC

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TearsForSpheres•

Great book...

2
ICleeOP•

Ohh good one

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afterbyrner•

Timeline doesn’t get enough love, probably because it was a mediocre movie, but a great book.

On the flip side, The 13th Warrior was a really enjoyable movie, but the book annoyed me. It’s a fictional book, but Crichton starts by trying to make you believe it’s not. Then at the end there’s a note from him basically saying “I fooled you.” It was one of the very few times I finished a book and thought the author was a douche.

I’m surprised you picked Airframe. It’s the one Crichton novel I’d rather forget I read. I remember being halfway through and wondering when the story would start.

The most overrated of his novels would have to be The Lost World. He only wrote it because Spielberg and his fans pressured him to do it, and it feels like it has no real end. The whole thing never sat right with me. The one thing it does do is reinforce my feeling that Malcolm is the real main character of both novels, not Grant, as the movies would have you believe.

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ICleeOP•

Airframe shouldn't work, but it does. I think if you were to explain the plot to someone who has never heard of it before, they would never believe that the book could be any good.

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thehappysmith•

My favorite of his (bearing in mind I haven't read anything newer than either Rising Sun or Lost World) is easily Sphere, and I'd say it's the most underrated except it's not actually that great. Sphere had me up until 3am finishing it, and this was when I was in high school and was a perfect angel who never ever stayed up late (literal, not sarcasm). I loved it! But then I went back and read it again like a year later and it was boring and cheesy and full of holes. Take away the suspense and it turns out it's pretty bad.

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headhuntermomo•

I think either Sphere or Prey is his best novel. I didn't notice any boredom, cheese, or plot holes in Sphere. It was just a simple and imo well written scifi story. Even now so many years later I think it is the sort of novel I would like to write. Reading it as a teenager made me want to write.

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ICleeOP•

Reading this thread, I can see that alot of his endings are cheese

1
harvey09•

I liked his book “Travels”. I think it might be his only nonfiction book. Had some interesting stories. Also, provides some idea of how different travel was pre-internet. For example, how to find out about places, book travel, etc.

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ICleeOP•

Might have to check this one out!

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harvey09•

Here is a link with more reviews: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7665.Travels

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BlindfoldedNinja•

I haven't read anything else other than JP by him so forgive me for focusing on it. I wouldn't call Jurassic Park bad in any way shape or form, it's a great novel worthy of a major motion picture, but it's overrated simply because of how highly it's rated. Yay tautologies.

JP is basically Reefer Madness for genetics and DNA research, except instead of a cheesy public fear announcement, it's a well crafted story with interesting characters. But at its core, that's what it is. Beware hot and heavy blouse ripping Dinosaurs from Space! Life finds uh way and you won't want to be there when it does!

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ICleeOP•

Yes, I agree with it being a good book. I just finished reading it today. I feel like it's kind of written to be a movie.( If that makes any sense?)

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BlindfoldedNinja•

I know what you mean. He was aware of what the optics would be like while he was writing, like screenplays.

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ICleeOP•

Exactly

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headhuntermomo•

Maybe written to be a movie, but not a Speilberg children's movie. Something darker and scarier and more profound however would have been appropriate. Something more sciencey.

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snogglethorpe霧が晴れた時•

Jurassic Park is hands down one of the worst books I've ever read...given how many people praise it, that would make it very overrated.

My sister loathes one of his other books, set in Africa somewhere ... but I haven't read it, so the title eludes me.

1
afterbyrner•

Congo. It was decent. The movie was dumb.

This was one of his many novels that followed a common arc of his. He shows you something amazing, that something gets out of hand, the characters have to destroy it.

3
TheLogicalEruditeScience Fiction•

This was one of his many novels that followed a common arc of his. He shows you something amazing, that something gets out of hand, the characters have to destroy it.

Prey comes to mind immediately, but yes most of his books follow that structure.

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thehappysmith•

Your sister is thinking of Congo, which is about ruins in the jungle and killer apes. It's pretty crummy. I read all of his books up thru I guess Rising Sun, so I caught all the early crummy ones. I don't know if Congo was the worst but it would be in the running.

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ICleeOP•

I just read Congo. It had such a great premise, but didn't deliver anything.

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drkirienko•

The casual race baiting in Rising Sun was a bit obnoxious.

2
soupspoontang•

I read Congo back in middle school. Even back then I could tell that the concept of gorillas using stone ping pong paddles to kill people was laughable.

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IdentifiesAesthetic•

I rarely see people mention "The Great Train Robbery" by him. Very fun book although not based in truth as it would lead you to believe

1
leo_poldy•

This would be my answer too. I was enthralled by it.

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Valmyr5•

My favorite was The Great Train Robbery.

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randomterran•

Airframe was super good you are spot on lol

1
Ranch20•

My favorite was Terminal Man, where a computer was placed in a man's head to control anger and so delt with moral problems. Crichton was on his own turf as it takes place in a hospital in the near future which would be now. I wonder what MDs and psychiatrists think of the book.

1
Lealnemarr•

Timeline was my absolute favorite MC novel. I've read a lot of his work, too, even Mirco and Prey getting on my lists but Timeline is still my favorite.

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whodatwhosaywhodat•

Travels, by far. Aside from a few chapters of goofy new age stuff, it's an excellent book.

Overrated, Sphere.

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