Attack of the Gene Genies

Everybody knows Micheal Crichton. You've seen Jurassic Park or read "Andromeda Strain" or "Congo". I think he had something to do with  "ER" as well. His work was always concerned with the interactions of science and society. Biological warfare in "Andromeda Strain" , the Global Warming BS Industry in the case of "State of Fear", and so on. In our present case Crichton the light is turned on genetic engineering and genome research and all of the fun things that await us "next".

"Next" is set in the present or at least the very near future. Genetic Engineering technology has moved from "research" to very active "development". Genetic therapy is everywhere and many lives are being extended and improved by the new science. There are, however, a few problems...

How 'bout this: say you go to the doctor and get the bad news, cancer. But it's OK because you have a gene in your DNA that beats cancer's butt. During the course of diagnosis and treatment the usual blood and tissue samples were taken and the gene that gives your body the upper hand in the Oncological arena is isolated and replicated. The researchers who did the work and apply for a patent from the government -- not just on the process for isolation and duplication of the gene but on the gene itself. They market the gene therapy and make a pile of cash. You get -- zip. But you're alive, quit complaining. Now imagine some dill-weed disgruntled employee contaminated the company's stocks and makes them useless. What do they do? Crichton suggests they come after you, the original patient, maybe sending goons to grab you, or your descendants who also carry the gene, off the street and extract the gene by a procedure picturesque-ly named a "punch biopsy". "Outrage!" you cry, "Kidnapping and Assault!" But no, under a cute legal theory you are possessing stolen property (the gene) and they are just reclaiming it. Cool, yes?

But wait! That's not all! How about a real monkey-boy? A 10-year-old mixed with a chimpanzee. How about a parrot you can have a two-sided conversation with? How about a nasal spray that can make your coke-head brother get a job? And so on... A busy, mixed picture.

There's the problem. Like "State of Fear" this book is more of a moral/ethical/political manifesto than a real coherent work of fiction. There are at least four major sub-plots which are really quite unrelated for the most part. The scene pinballs back and forth from "biotech corporation intrigue" to "cancer patients' family on the run chased by hired biopsy goons" to "The Adventures of Girard the Annoying Parrot" to "Dave, the Monkey-Boy" and so on...

The plot(s) is busy and moves along quickly. Things don't go on at the same sort of length as "State of Fear". Again characters are rather mono-dimensional, this isn't Chekhov we're dealing with here. (Although Dave, the monkey-boy is pretty cool.) Like "Fear" this book is really intended more to inform and proselytize than to entertain. And again there is a coda with explanations of technology and a reading list. The action portions are decently executed but contain little that is particularly memorable. Your time will be occupied but your soul won't be moved.

I had heard about a lot of this stuff before. It isn't a subject I find fascinating (for some reason) so I've never chasedthe nuts and bolts down. You probably didn't know that Merck could (in theory) take out a patent on your gall-bladder or that research (on possibly critical subjects like SARS) is being inhibited by worries over patent infringement. These are important subjects which unfortunately get a but mixed up in the travels and travails of the characters in the numerous sub-plots.

The subjects covered in "Next" are technical but are not treated in an overly technical manner. You may have to hear about H2HK2 genes and dehydro-oxygenase inhibitors but such biotech-gibberish never becomes important or overwhelming. There a wee bit of legal gibberish but it, too doesn't become intrusive. Non-techies will not become overly flustered.

Crichton is no eco-Ludite. He is (was actually he died recently) a doctor (MD-style - Harvard) and has no fear of the technology he examines. No cartoon "Attack of the Clones" stuff but an intelligent examination of a little-discussed cluster of issues. Even of it is done in a crazy-quilt style...