Books Similar to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park

MV64 · 01-22-2015, 08:02 PM

I'm re-reading Jurassic Park for the first time in fifteen years or so, and I'm enthralled. I love these sort of monster/adventure stories. Can anyone recommend other novels in the same vein?

Also, does anyone know if he ever started writing a sequel to Lost World before he died? Seems like these days when an author dies the estate finds half-written works and either publish them or hire someone to finish one. Is there a chance we may one day see another Jurassic Park novel with Crichton's writing style?

wayspooled · 01-23-2015, 03:39 PM

Edgar Rice Burroughs Pelucidar novels http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/...ice-burroughs/ and Jules Verne's Journey To The Center Of The Earth, off the top of my head.

DuaneAA · 01-23-2015, 06:11 PM

It's not a book, but have you seen the British TV show, Primeval? I think it is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Its about these portals opening up through time. Dinosaurs and other exotic giant creatures are continually coming through into the present. The main characters are battling these incursions while trying to keep the general public from finding out. I found it to be a quite fun little series.

Duane

crich70 · 01-23-2015, 11:52 PM

Have you read Crichton's "Andromeda Strain"? It's not about dinosaurs but it does deal with the idea of man fooling about with things he's not ready for.

Spoiler:

Sunlite · 01-24-2015, 04:34 AM

There is a book named "Dino-Land" by Wolfgang Hohlbein and others that started its life as a collection of pulp novels published in 97/98.
It was done to catch the hype over Jurassic Park and at least the first two thirds have lots of dinosaurs in it.

The original is in German.
I don't know if there is a translation available.

svenlind · 01-24-2015, 05:37 AM

Amazon US has Lost world Megapack priced $0.99.

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-MEG...world+megapack

BenG · 01-24-2015, 02:20 PM

Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear.

It takes place 50 years after the events of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World and the dinosaur craze has died down and one of the last remaining dinosaur circuses is closing down. The protagonist attempts to return the dinosaurs to the wild in Venezuela.

http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Summe...=UTF8&sr=&qid=

Teknikal · 01-26-2015, 07:09 AM

I read a book not that long ago called Watchers by Dean Koontz I quite enjoyed it and it centered around two genetically modified animals escaping from a lab. It's a similar kind of theme with man messing with DNA and the consequences of that.

Apache · 01-29-2015, 03:21 PM

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly.

Quote:

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years. They have proven the existence of dragons. Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed.

A small group of VIPs and journalists have been brought to the zoo deep within China to see these fabulous creatures for the first time. The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that the dragons are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong. Of course it can't...

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Zoo-Chin...=UTF8&sr=&qid=
Apache

HoopyFrood · 02-01-2015, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

Have you read Crichton's "Andromeda Strain"? It's not about dinosaurs but it does deal with the idea of man fooling about with things he's not ready for.

Spoiler:

Great book, and he's written nothing else as good since. IMO of course.

Catlady · 02-01-2015, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Great book, and he's written nothing else as good since. IMO of course.

Another vote for Andromeda Strain.

crich70 · 02-13-2015, 10:41 PM

One I posted about over in SF deals but fits your parameters as well.

The Zanthodon MEGAPACK by Lin carterWildside press

AnemicOak · 02-13-2015, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MV64

I love these sort of monster/adventure stories. Can anyone recommend other novels in the same vein?

Maybe try Jaws by Peter Benchley?

These turn up when searching for "books like Jurrasic Park"
The Meg series by Steve Alten often called "Jurassic Shark" apparently
The Dinosaur Four by Geoff Jones

Penforhire · 02-14-2015, 07:51 PM

Steve Alten was mediocre to me, though Meg was better than Domain IMO.

Geoff Jones TD4 · 02-18-2015, 09:05 PM

Hey Anemic Oak, thanks for the call out!

I wrote The Dinosaur Four because I thought there weren't enough dinosaur thrillers like Jurassic Park out there, and it's the sort of thing I wanted to read.

It might be helpful to point out ways that The Dinosaur Four is *different* from Jurassic Park. There isn't much discussion of science or philosophy. The focus is more on human interactions in the face of a crisis and the characters are all everyday folks. There aren't any paleontologists or billionaires (or kids). In some ways, The Dinosaur Four was inspired more by The Mist and Alien than by Jurassic Park.

But it is a dinosaur thriller first and foremost, with "oohs and aahs" at the start, followed quickly by running and screaming.

Also, the "veggie-sauruses" are just as dangerous as the carnivores and all of the dinosaurs have feathers. At any rate, if it sounds interesting, I'd love to hear what you think of it. And you can download it for free if you have Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited.

A couple of other books I recommend are The Martian by Andy Weir and the Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch. Both are fantastic reads.

The Martian - There aren't any monsters in this one, but it's a great adventure & survival story. It's a lot like Gravity or Apollo 13.

Pines - This one does have monsters. It feels like a mix of Twin Peaks, The Fugitive, and The Twilight Zone.

Best,
Geoff

01-22-2015, 08:02 PM	#1
MV64 Addict Posts: 271 Karma: 2000000 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	Books Similar to Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park I'm re-reading Jurassic Park for the first time in fifteen years or so, and I'm enthralled. I love these sort of monster/adventure stories. Can anyone recommend other novels in the same vein? Also, does anyone know if he ever started writing a sequel to Lost World before he died? Seems like these days when an author dies the estate finds half-written works and either publish them or hire someone to finish one. Is there a chance we may one day see another Jurassic Park novel with Crichton's writing style?

01-23-2015, 11:52 PM	#4
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Have you read Crichton's "Andromeda Strain"? It's not about dinosaurs but it does deal with the idea of man fooling about with things he's not ready for. Spoiler: Instead of cloning dinosaurs scientists seek germs for germ warfare work via satellites and they get a nasty one. I've always liked the 1970's movie version.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Michael Crichton	pwalker8	Reading Recommendations	25	05-21-2012 09:03 PM
Jurassic Park Theme - guitar arrangement	jhempel24	Lounge	0	08-22-2011 05:38 PM
FW 20% rebate on Michael Crichton books	HarryT	Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links)	0	11-23-2008 05:36 AM
Michael Crichton dead at 66	CanadianContent	News	82	11-12-2008 07:15 AM
Minority Report and Jurassic Park	Zire	Reading Recommendations	7	09-19-2003 10:44 AM

01-23-2015, 03:39 PM	#2
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Edgar Rice Burroughs Pelucidar novels http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/...ice-burroughs/ and Jules Verne's Journey To The Center Of The Earth, off the top of my head.

01-23-2015, 06:11 PM	#3
DuaneAA Connoisseur Posts: 95 Karma: 1139736 Join Date: May 2006 Location: Minnesota Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 & Kindle Fire HDX	It's not a book, but have you seen the British TV show, Primeval? I think it is available on Netflix and Amazon Prime. Its about these portals opening up through time. Dinosaurs and other exotic giant creatures are continually coming through into the present. The main characters are battling these incursions while trying to keep the general public from finding out. I found it to be a quite fun little series. Duane

01-24-2015, 04:34 AM	#5
Sunlite Addict Posts: 206 Karma: 547516 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: KObo Clara, Kobo Aura, PRS-T1, PB602, CyBook Gen3	There is a book named "Dino-Land" by Wolfgang Hohlbein and others that started its life as a collection of pulp novels published in 97/98. It was done to catch the hype over Jurassic Park and at least the first two thirds have lots of dinosaurs in it. The original is in German. I don't know if there is a translation available.

01-24-2015, 05:37 AM	#6
svenlind Fanatic Posts: 533 Karma: 10491221 Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Denmark Device: Kobo: Clara BW, Libra 2,Sage. Kindle Oasis 3, Ipad Mini	Amazon US has Lost world Megapack priced $0.99. http://www.amazon.com/Lost-World-MEG...world+megapack

01-24-2015, 02:20 PM	#7
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,730 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Dinosaur Summer by Greg Bear. It takes place 50 years after the events of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World and the dinosaur craze has died down and one of the last remaining dinosaur circuses is closing down. The protagonist attempts to return the dinosaurs to the wild in Venezuela. http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Summe...=UTF8&sr=&qid=

01-26-2015, 07:09 AM	#8
Teknikal Fanatic Posts: 574 Karma: 5264318 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Belfast Device: Sony T1, Note Pro 12.2, Honor 10	I read a book not that long ago called Watchers by Dean Koontz I quite enjoyed it and it centered around two genetically modified animals escaping from a lab. It's a similar kind of theme with man messing with DNA and the consequences of that.

02-13-2015, 10:41 PM	#12
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	One I posted about over in SF deals but fits your parameters as well. The Zanthodon MEGAPACK by Lin carterWildside press

02-14-2015, 07:51 PM	#14
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Steve Alten was mediocre to me, though Meg was better than Domain IMO.

02-18-2015, 09:05 PM	#15
Geoff Jones TD4 Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 100000 Join Date: Feb 2015 Device: Kindle	Hey Anemic Oak, thanks for the call out! I wrote The Dinosaur Four because I thought there weren't enough dinosaur thrillers like Jurassic Park out there, and it's the sort of thing I wanted to read. It might be helpful to point out ways that The Dinosaur Four is different from Jurassic Park. There isn't much discussion of science or philosophy. The focus is more on human interactions in the face of a crisis and the characters are all everyday folks. There aren't any paleontologists or billionaires (or kids). In some ways, The Dinosaur Four was inspired more by The Mist and Alien than by Jurassic Park. But it is a dinosaur thriller first and foremost, with "oohs and aahs" at the start, followed quickly by running and screaming. Also, the "veggie-sauruses" are just as dangerous as the carnivores and all of the dinosaurs have feathers. At any rate, if it sounds interesting, I'd love to hear what you think of it. And you can download it for free if you have Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited. A couple of other books I recommend are The Martian by Andy Weir and the Pines trilogy by Blake Crouch. Both are fantastic reads. The Martian - There aren't any monsters in this one, but it's a great adventure & survival story. It's a lot like Gravity or Apollo 13. Pines - This one does have monsters. It feels like a mix of Twin Peaks, The Fugitive, and The Twilight Zone. Best, Geoff

Advert

Advert