On a remote island off the coast of Costa Rica, billionaire John Hammond creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs cloned from prehistoric DNA found in amber. To satisfy investors after a fatal accident, Hammond invites paleontologist Alan Grant, paleobotanist Ellie Sattler, and mathematician Ian Malcolm to certify the safety of the facility. Chaos theory takes center stage when a computer system failure, triggered by industrial espionage, disables the electric fences. The biological assets, including a Tyrannosaurus rex and genetically engineered Velociraptors, escape their enclosures, forcing the stranded group to survive a predatory environment where nature refuses to be controlled by technology.
Science fiction readers and fans of cautionary techno-thrillers find this story a detailed examination of scientific hubris. The narrative provides technical explanations of genetics, computer programming, and the unpredictability of complex systems. Readers walk away with a specific understanding of how small errors in management and an over-reliance on automation lead to total systemic collapse. It serves as a study on the ethics of biological manipulation and the inherent danger of using commercial profit as the primary motive for high-stakes scientific experimentation.
Outward-looking, growth-minded, clear-cut and escapist; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1990
- Language
- EN
