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The Terminal Man
ISBN 9780099442110 moved to the more recent edition
Harry Benson is a man troubled by violent seizures and blackouts, with grave doubts about what occurs during those lost hours. When two surgeons approach him with a drastic new treatment for his extreme fits he leaps at the chance, even though it means having electrodes planted deep into his brain. The surgeons are so obsessed with trying out their new theory they ignore warnings from another doctor that the man they are about to experiment on is a psychopath, who believes there is no difference between man and machine. It is too late when they realise what kind of monster they've unleashed on the world...
The Terminal Man is a fast-paced thriller about the grave danger of technology falling into the wrong hands, from the master storyteller behind Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain.
Harry Benson is a man troubled by violent seizures and blackouts, with grave doubts about what occurs during those lost hours. When two surgeons approach him with a drastic new treatment for his extreme fits he leaps at the chance, even though it means having electrodes planted deep into his brain. The surgeons are so obsessed with trying out their new theory they ignore warnings from another doctor that the man they are about to experiment on is a psychopath, who believes there is no difference between man and machine. It is too late when they realise what kind of monster they've unleashed on the world...
The Terminal Man is a fast-paced thriller about the grave danger of technology falling into the wrong hands, from the master storyteller behind Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain.
288 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1972
732 people are currently reading
10450 people want to read
About the author
Michael Crichton
211 books20.1k followersMichael Crichton (1942-2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969. His first novel,
Odds On
(1966), was written under the pseudonym John Lange and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as Michael Douglas and Jeffery Hudson. His novel
A Case of Need
won the Edgar Award in 1969. Popular throughout the world, he has sold more than 200 million books. His novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and thirteen have been made into films.
Michael Crichton died of lymphoma in 2008. He was 66 years old.
Michael Crichton died of lymphoma in 2008. He was 66 years old.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,240 reviews
July 27, 2024
FIORI PER ALGERNON
Immagino che nel 1972 quando è uscito avesse potenza rara.
Che per me è rimasta intatta anche tredici anni dopo, quando l’ho letto.
Il mio primo Crichton.
Alla luce dell’oggi probabilmente fa un po’ ridere. Ma credo succeda a tanta fantascienza che si affida molto all’aspetto scientifico: la scienza va avanti, cambia, e quello che oggi sempre una bomba domani rischia die ssere meno che un petardo.
L’uomo terminale è interpretato da George Segal, attore che negli anni Settanta visse un periodo di splendore artistico.
È chiaro che nel terzo decennio del terzo millennio, con il mondo dominato dall’intelligenza artificiale, il procedimento scientifico qui descritto fa ben meno effetto, è già stato superato (ma non risolto).
È chiaro che con computer infilati in tasca o allacciati al polso pensare a un’intera stanza dedicata a un elaboratore elettronico di dimensioni pachidermiche nutrito con nastro perforato fa un po’ “mamma e papà”, un’altra generazione, ancor più un’altra epoca e un altro mondo. Matusalemme.
È chiaro che immaginare il tutto con telefoni fissi, senza cellulari, senza pc, ma solo il mainframe IBM mammut…
Il protagonista è un programmatore di computer, e forse perché soffre di epilessia, o forse perché lavora sui computer, è ossessionato dall’idea che le macchine vogliano conquistare il mondo: più pragmaticamente, la sua epilessia del lobo temporale gli causa improvvisi irrefrenabili raptus omicidi. Dei quali dimentica tutto completamente: nel senso che gli attacchi vengono seguiti da amnesia totale.
Per curarlo, e salvarlo, decidono di impiantargli nel cervello una specie di pacemaker collegato a un computer che regoli, o anzi, blocchi in partenza gli attacchi epilettici, e quindi, disinneschi i raptus omicidi: un minicomputer dotato di elettrodi nel cervello che attraverso micro scariche elettriche possa controllare gli attacchi di violenza. In pratica, come dice il titolo, un terminale umano. Una periferica.
Qualcosa va storto, nell’operazione, o nel progetto. Qualcosa va così storto che l’uomo diventa ancora più violento. E parte la caccia per acchiapparlo.
Il film è del 1974 diretto da Mike Hodges.
Già allora Crichton intuiva la possibilità di operare chirurgicamente a distanza utilizzando un computer come braccio del chirurgo… Come altri prima e dopo di lui, Crichton indagava sui limiti della scienza, sulle implicazioni morali di certe scoperte, sul controllo dello sviluppo scientifico.
E se anche tante cose oggi sembrano superate, il thriller regge, ed emoziona, e si capisce che Crichton aveva vista lunga, e intuiva in anticipo gli sviluppi scientifici.
I più potenti controllori mentali del mondo sono i genitori, e sono anche quelli che fanno più danno.
Immagino che nel 1972 quando è uscito avesse potenza rara.
Che per me è rimasta intatta anche tredici anni dopo, quando l’ho letto.
Il mio primo Crichton.
Alla luce dell’oggi probabilmente fa un po’ ridere. Ma credo succeda a tanta fantascienza che si affida molto all’aspetto scientifico: la scienza va avanti, cambia, e quello che oggi sempre una bomba domani rischia die ssere meno che un petardo.
L’uomo terminale è interpretato da George Segal, attore che negli anni Settanta visse un periodo di splendore artistico.
È chiaro che nel terzo decennio del terzo millennio, con il mondo dominato dall’intelligenza artificiale, il procedimento scientifico qui descritto fa ben meno effetto, è già stato superato (ma non risolto).
È chiaro che con computer infilati in tasca o allacciati al polso pensare a un’intera stanza dedicata a un elaboratore elettronico di dimensioni pachidermiche nutrito con nastro perforato fa un po’ “mamma e papà”, un’altra generazione, ancor più un’altra epoca e un altro mondo. Matusalemme.
È chiaro che immaginare il tutto con telefoni fissi, senza cellulari, senza pc, ma solo il mainframe IBM mammut…
Il protagonista è un programmatore di computer, e forse perché soffre di epilessia, o forse perché lavora sui computer, è ossessionato dall’idea che le macchine vogliano conquistare il mondo: più pragmaticamente, la sua epilessia del lobo temporale gli causa improvvisi irrefrenabili raptus omicidi. Dei quali dimentica tutto completamente: nel senso che gli attacchi vengono seguiti da amnesia totale.
Per curarlo, e salvarlo, decidono di impiantargli nel cervello una specie di pacemaker collegato a un computer che regoli, o anzi, blocchi in partenza gli attacchi epilettici, e quindi, disinneschi i raptus omicidi: un minicomputer dotato di elettrodi nel cervello che attraverso micro scariche elettriche possa controllare gli attacchi di violenza. In pratica, come dice il titolo, un terminale umano. Una periferica.
Qualcosa va storto, nell’operazione, o nel progetto. Qualcosa va così storto che l’uomo diventa ancora più violento. E parte la caccia per acchiapparlo.
Il film è del 1974 diretto da Mike Hodges.
Già allora Crichton intuiva la possibilità di operare chirurgicamente a distanza utilizzando un computer come braccio del chirurgo… Come altri prima e dopo di lui, Crichton indagava sui limiti della scienza, sulle implicazioni morali di certe scoperte, sul controllo dello sviluppo scientifico.
E se anche tante cose oggi sembrano superate, il thriller regge, ed emoziona, e si capisce che Crichton aveva vista lunga, e intuiva in anticipo gli sviluppi scientifici.
I più potenti controllori mentali del mondo sono i genitori, e sono anche quelli che fanno più danno.
June 21, 2015
So. Much. Coffee.
September 25, 2015
The Terminal Man
is so far my least favorite of all Michael Crichton's novels. (I'm almost finished reading all of his fiction books.) But I couldn't rate it lower than three-stars, because this is Crichton, for pity's sake. He's one of my favorite authors. And I suppose the tremendous research and effort dedicated in this book is worth an additional star.
Okay, so this is about a man named Benson who frequently had violent seizures. People from the Neuropsychiatric Research Unit decided to apply some experimental methods to him that were never used in humans before, in an attempt to "cure" him. Whenever Benson would have a seizure, the electrodes placed in his brain would at once pulse some sort of pleasurable sensation. Apparently Benson liked this feeling very much that he managed to increase the stimulation (which would lead normally lead to seizures) in order to feel that pleasurable response. But it became too much for his brain to handle, and soon enough he was on the loose with a deadly intent on his mind.
I'm glad my General Biology class came in pretty handy, so I wasn't lost in all those scientific terminologies regarding the nervous system. One of the things I noticed here is that there isn't too much piling of information. I think that's a good thing, especially if you're the type of reader who'd get tired of the unceasing lectures and technical discussions. Nevertheless, I felt really educated after reading this because Crichton still inserted several tidbits every now and then, especially during dialogues (the briefing/ interview part of Benson was cleverly used).
The pace is very quick. Even the novel is quite short, and I finished it in about three hours or less. Unlike his other novels, there wasn't much history or background on the characters. And the point-of-view primarily centered on Dr. Ross. It's rather rare for him to use a woman as the main character. Though to be honest, one couldn't really pinpoint a single person who could effectively be considered as the protagonist. Furthermore, it was very straightforward. I like that simplicity and economy of words and pages.
However, because of that, the characters didn't develop very much. There was hardly any time for characterization. And I felt like I wasn't able to get to know the characters better.
The writing could be better. But I understand that this was written much earlier. And having read Crichton's latter works, I can say that his writing style improved immensely. Sadly, in this book, the descriptions were a bit bland. (I'll cite an example when I get a hold of my copy.)
The suspense wasn't as intense as I expected. I'm not complaining; I think it was still satisfying. But the thrill only arrived towards the end of the book, which was unlike Crichton's other novels (as there was usually a continuous dose of thrill available all throughout).
The ending took me by surprise. Wow, that was the first time I've ever come across his books wherein the ending was so abrupt and unexplained. I flipped to the next page and was flabbergasted to find it empty. It gave me goosebumps, really.
As usual, the painstaking research done is commendable. One look at the bibliography and you could already say that The Terminal Man was a very intelligently-crafted work. I felt so smart after reading it, as if a considerable amount of knowledge was entered into my brain. (Heh, mind control, indeed.)
Although this isn't really my favorite, I'd still recommend this. The main reason would probably be because the subject matter is controversial and leaned more on psychology and ethics than medical science. The implications of this research were massive, indeed.
Okay, so this is about a man named Benson who frequently had violent seizures. People from the Neuropsychiatric Research Unit decided to apply some experimental methods to him that were never used in humans before, in an attempt to "cure" him. Whenever Benson would have a seizure, the electrodes placed in his brain would at once pulse some sort of pleasurable sensation. Apparently Benson liked this feeling very much that he managed to increase the stimulation (which would lead normally lead to seizures) in order to feel that pleasurable response. But it became too much for his brain to handle, and soon enough he was on the loose with a deadly intent on his mind.
I'm glad my General Biology class came in pretty handy, so I wasn't lost in all those scientific terminologies regarding the nervous system. One of the things I noticed here is that there isn't too much piling of information. I think that's a good thing, especially if you're the type of reader who'd get tired of the unceasing lectures and technical discussions. Nevertheless, I felt really educated after reading this because Crichton still inserted several tidbits every now and then, especially during dialogues (the briefing/ interview part of Benson was cleverly used).
The pace is very quick. Even the novel is quite short, and I finished it in about three hours or less. Unlike his other novels, there wasn't much history or background on the characters. And the point-of-view primarily centered on Dr. Ross. It's rather rare for him to use a woman as the main character. Though to be honest, one couldn't really pinpoint a single person who could effectively be considered as the protagonist. Furthermore, it was very straightforward. I like that simplicity and economy of words and pages.
However, because of that, the characters didn't develop very much. There was hardly any time for characterization. And I felt like I wasn't able to get to know the characters better.
The writing could be better. But I understand that this was written much earlier. And having read Crichton's latter works, I can say that his writing style improved immensely. Sadly, in this book, the descriptions were a bit bland. (I'll cite an example when I get a hold of my copy.)
The suspense wasn't as intense as I expected. I'm not complaining; I think it was still satisfying. But the thrill only arrived towards the end of the book, which was unlike Crichton's other novels (as there was usually a continuous dose of thrill available all throughout).
The ending took me by surprise. Wow, that was the first time I've ever come across his books wherein the ending was so abrupt and unexplained. I flipped to the next page and was flabbergasted to find it empty. It gave me goosebumps, really.
As usual, the painstaking research done is commendable. One look at the bibliography and you could already say that The Terminal Man was a very intelligently-crafted work. I felt so smart after reading it, as if a considerable amount of knowledge was entered into my brain. (Heh, mind control, indeed.)
Although this isn't really my favorite, I'd still recommend this. The main reason would probably be because the subject matter is controversial and leaned more on psychology and ethics than medical science. The implications of this research were massive, indeed.
December 22, 2018
Brief synopsis; neurologists implant electrodes into a patient's brain in an attempt to calm his violent seizures. As 'playing God' goes, these doctors fall short of Frankenstein or Jekyll, but they engage in quite a lot of back-slapping, words-of-caution-ignoring and unhatched-chicken-counting. Needless to say a garden-variety thriller breaks out.
What sets The Terminal Man apart is how thoroughly researched it is; we're talking five pages of bibliography and technical references for a short novel. Perhaps Crichton binged Neurology articles because the subject fascinated him and he figured he might as well pen a paperback using his new knowledge.
The bulk of the story comes pre-op; with doctors debating and detailing the experimental procedure. The inevitable rampage ends up feeling rushed and perfunctory by comparison. It makes me wonder whether Crichton could've cut the thriller elements entirely and just given us a story of complex people and their complex experiments. Medical dramas work better on TV I guess.
Edited 12/22/2018
What sets The Terminal Man apart is how thoroughly researched it is; we're talking five pages of bibliography and technical references for a short novel. Perhaps Crichton binged Neurology articles because the subject fascinated him and he figured he might as well pen a paperback using his new knowledge.
The bulk of the story comes pre-op; with doctors debating and detailing the experimental procedure. The inevitable rampage ends up feeling rushed and perfunctory by comparison. It makes me wonder whether Crichton could've cut the thriller elements entirely and just given us a story of complex people and their complex experiments. Medical dramas work better on TV I guess.
Edited 12/22/2018
September 5, 2021
A quick read this short medical thriller / medical scifi about a man having brain seizures which gives him blackouts and more recent his behaviour turns very violent.
He gets an operation which should counter the seizures with small electro shocks to correct his seizures not unlike a pacemaker for the heart.
It turns out to be a disaster and the man become even more dangerous and is sure he is turning into a machine.
A small well researched early novel by Crichton about the dangers of medical science.
Enjoyable read
He gets an operation which should counter the seizures with small electro shocks to correct his seizures not unlike a pacemaker for the heart.
It turns out to be a disaster and the man become even more dangerous and is sure he is turning into a machine.
A small well researched early novel by Crichton about the dangers of medical science.
Enjoyable read
November 26, 2019
A really good example of what made Crichton's early fiction so good. The story is fairly simple compared to his later fiction and much of it is predictable but he also does a superb job of keeping the information dumps interesting, keeps the story moving smoothly, and, unlike his later fiction, he adds morals and themes into the story.
August 6, 2022
3.66 stars
A re-read after 27 years was good. The book speaks about technology that was (probably) being researched upon in the 1960s about 'mind-control' mechanisms using surgically implanted electrodes in the brain and the brain-computer interface, and the fear of the idea that computers as machines that may take over humans, since that was an era when the computer was a new and evolving device. Fun to read again after so many years. Not as interesting as The Andromeda Strain, but still it does what it had to do: speak about the dangers of certain technologies that could be thought about as dangerous at that time when the book was first published (1971).
A re-read after 27 years was good. The book speaks about technology that was (probably) being researched upon in the 1960s about 'mind-control' mechanisms using surgically implanted electrodes in the brain and the brain-computer interface, and the fear of the idea that computers as machines that may take over humans, since that was an era when the computer was a new and evolving device. Fun to read again after so many years. Not as interesting as The Andromeda Strain, but still it does what it had to do: speak about the dangers of certain technologies that could be thought about as dangerous at that time when the book was first published (1971).
September 25, 2017
Weak plot with ignorant and outdated views of people with epilepsy. Crichton himself came out and said he felt this was his worst novel and after reading it, I would agree with him.
October 23, 2014
Years ago, I saw "The Andromeda Strain" & then saw this book, so I picked it up. It was pretty good & was an early explorer of man-computer interfacing. It also shows the fallacy of positive feedback as a form of control. There's a fair amount of gore & the hospital descriptions really impressed me. It might be a bit dated now, though.
If you have to hunt up a volume, try to find the first hardback. It had some good, if a bit gruesome, illustrations in it, as I recall.
If you have to hunt up a volume, try to find the first hardback. It had some good, if a bit gruesome, illustrations in it, as I recall.
March 14, 2021
This book is enjoyable, but overall, okay. The premise was honestly interesting. The plot was bland and predictable. Nevertheless, the research took to fill this book is highly commendable.
June 14, 2025
Este libro es como ver un episodio largo y oscuro de Black Mirror, pero escrito en los años 70. Crichton ya la tenía clarísima con los peligros de la tecnología cuando medio mundo todavía andaba jugando con calculadoras.
En El hombre terminal, seguimos a Harry Benson, un criminal condenado que sufre crisis epilépticas que desembocan en enfrentamientos violentos y que acepta, como parte de su condena, someterse a un procedimiento experimental: conectar su cerebro a una computadora para "prevenir" esos episodios. La ironía es tremenda desde el arranque, porque Benson odia las computadoras. Las ve como una amenaza al libre albedrío, a la humanidad misma. Él quiere seguir siendo humano, no un sistema operativo con piernas.
Y es justo eso lo que lo vuelve tan trágico: al intentar curarse, se convierte en lo que más temía. Poco a poco, su conciencia queda desplazada por un patrón automático de respuestas eléctricas. El tipo que desconfiaba de las máquinas termina siendo una máquina. Un "terminal" en el sentido más literal. Doloroso y perturbador.
La novela no es tan adrenalínica como otras de Crichton, pero tiene una tensión constante, medio clínica, medio paranoica, que te mantiene enganchado. Hay muchas reflexiones sobre la mente, la identidad, el control y ese miedo muy humano a perderse dentro del sistema.
Si te gusta la ciencia ficción que te deja con preguntas existenciales y cierta desconfianza hacia la tecnología, este libro es una parada obligada. Y Benson, con toda su tragedia, se queda dando vueltas en la cabeza mucho después de la última página.
En El hombre terminal, seguimos a Harry Benson, un criminal condenado que sufre crisis epilépticas que desembocan en enfrentamientos violentos y que acepta, como parte de su condena, someterse a un procedimiento experimental: conectar su cerebro a una computadora para "prevenir" esos episodios. La ironía es tremenda desde el arranque, porque Benson odia las computadoras. Las ve como una amenaza al libre albedrío, a la humanidad misma. Él quiere seguir siendo humano, no un sistema operativo con piernas.
Y es justo eso lo que lo vuelve tan trágico: al intentar curarse, se convierte en lo que más temía. Poco a poco, su conciencia queda desplazada por un patrón automático de respuestas eléctricas. El tipo que desconfiaba de las máquinas termina siendo una máquina. Un "terminal" en el sentido más literal. Doloroso y perturbador.
La novela no es tan adrenalínica como otras de Crichton, pero tiene una tensión constante, medio clínica, medio paranoica, que te mantiene enganchado. Hay muchas reflexiones sobre la mente, la identidad, el control y ese miedo muy humano a perderse dentro del sistema.
Si te gusta la ciencia ficción que te deja con preguntas existenciales y cierta desconfianza hacia la tecnología, este libro es una parada obligada. Y Benson, con toda su tragedia, se queda dando vueltas en la cabeza mucho después de la última página.
June 25, 2024
"The Terminal Man" is one of those rare instances of a book where my 3-star rating has very little hint of negative criticism attached to it, because nearly all of the negative things I could say about it simply due to the book's age or it being too short! I wanted to rate this one 4 stars, but find that hard because of how much it feels like it lacks in on-screen events.
But that said, "The Terminal Man" is still a very fun book. After over 2 years since reading "The Andromeda Strain" (boy does that make my zoomer-ass feel old), I had forgotten how quickly Crichton reads and how engrossing his plotting and ideas are - how addictive it is to read a Crichton novel because of how simple he is able to make complex topics come across. I had no idea what "The Terminal Man" was about before starting it. I just knew it was going to be my next Crichton read, so I was almost surprised to see him explore the ideas of neurotechnology. Doing a couple brief Google searches, there are people who seem to think neurotechnology wasn't even a thing for a couple decades after this book (like, the 80s or 90s), though it seems the 60s is a more accurate time. Which makes sense based on the dates and information provided in the expositional portions of the novel.
Now, in fairness, Michael Crichton always seemed to be ahead of his time as far as his scientific exploration and plotting therein, but this subject matter for a book published in the early 70s was almost whiplashy based on the lack of awareness and knowledge I have the era. I think I fall into feeling like technology wasn't advanced enough for this book to be about what it's about...but again, that's kind of Crichton's whole spiel.
I found the expositional material very interesting. Though Crichton's characters aren't exactly the deepest, they are deep enough, and they do quite well to set up the topics at hand. The neurotechnological aspects and the subject of the technology are intriguing and really drive the whole narrative. The plot itself and the tidbits of personal strife from the main few doctors is all handled quite well.
But on the "lacking" issue...well, not enough of the book is on screen. In my copy, this thing is only 200 pages, and I feel like it could've been anywhere from 25-50% longer without overstaying it's welcome. There are some elements that move the plot forward that I would've liked better foreshadowed early on; there are plenty of spaces of time that are not covered deeply enough - time skips, basically, where there could've been active participation on the cast's part; and it would've been nice to get a little more time for certain character's experiences to sink a bit deeper. The exhaustion for example over the last couple "days" of the story doesn't come across too well because Crichton doesn't spend enough time on it.
Very little of the material was bad, and what I would consider mediocre about "The Terminal Man" is merely to the degree that expansion of the novel could've fixed them without any issue at all. Well...I guess the cognitive dissonance that the technology and subject matter yielded in my brain was a little off-putting at times (and didn't age well in some cases), but that might be a personal problem more than anything. There's at least something to be said for the thematic material regarding mingling man and machine and even the simple overreliance on machines and computers...and Crichton was DEFINITELY ahead of his time on this front given that it would be 2-ish decades before home computers were becoming commonly popular or affordable and we probably didn't have any true collective notion of "AI" at the time of the book's writing. So yeah, my criticisms are very minor - negligible, even - in the grand scheme of things, and prove that Crichton was definitely on the right track with his work.
[EDIT: I forgot that I'm not huge on the status of the ending of this book - potentially my only TRUE insightful criticism...I definitely would've liked more resolution there.]
Like I said, I wanted to give this one 4 stars, because the story (combined with the surprising handling of the themes I just brought up) are pretty great, but there was just enough "empty space" so to speak throughout the book that I was left a bit wanting in the end.
But if there's anything I will never forget about "The Terminal Man", it's the déjà vu that it gave me. This book references some very specific material about, well, the p-terminal of the human brain that I had read about in "Infinite Jest" like 1 or maybe 2 days before. If you know the context from IJ, you know exactly what I'm saying. If you've only read this, recall the one guy came in wanting to get the chip for the sheer hedonistic pleasure of it, and again you know what I'm talking about. The fact I read that section in this book within 48 hours of reading it in "Infinite Jest" - especially when I started this one having no idea what it was about at all and having intended to start it much earlier (which would've still given me the déjà vu but backwards to be honest) - will never not be hilarious to me because I genuinely thought I was going crazy for a few hours until a friend confirmed my suspicions with a search in the "Infinite Jest" e-book.
It may seem like I didn't love "The Terminal Man" - and I guess I didn't *love* it overall - but I did enjoy my time thoroughly, and cannot wait to get to my next Crichton read soon...
...or at least, hopefully sooner than 2+ years from now.
But that said, "The Terminal Man" is still a very fun book. After over 2 years since reading "The Andromeda Strain" (boy does that make my zoomer-ass feel old), I had forgotten how quickly Crichton reads and how engrossing his plotting and ideas are - how addictive it is to read a Crichton novel because of how simple he is able to make complex topics come across. I had no idea what "The Terminal Man" was about before starting it. I just knew it was going to be my next Crichton read, so I was almost surprised to see him explore the ideas of neurotechnology. Doing a couple brief Google searches, there are people who seem to think neurotechnology wasn't even a thing for a couple decades after this book (like, the 80s or 90s), though it seems the 60s is a more accurate time. Which makes sense based on the dates and information provided in the expositional portions of the novel.
Now, in fairness, Michael Crichton always seemed to be ahead of his time as far as his scientific exploration and plotting therein, but this subject matter for a book published in the early 70s was almost whiplashy based on the lack of awareness and knowledge I have the era. I think I fall into feeling like technology wasn't advanced enough for this book to be about what it's about...but again, that's kind of Crichton's whole spiel.
I found the expositional material very interesting. Though Crichton's characters aren't exactly the deepest, they are deep enough, and they do quite well to set up the topics at hand. The neurotechnological aspects and the subject of the technology are intriguing and really drive the whole narrative. The plot itself and the tidbits of personal strife from the main few doctors is all handled quite well.
But on the "lacking" issue...well, not enough of the book is on screen. In my copy, this thing is only 200 pages, and I feel like it could've been anywhere from 25-50% longer without overstaying it's welcome. There are some elements that move the plot forward that I would've liked better foreshadowed early on; there are plenty of spaces of time that are not covered deeply enough - time skips, basically, where there could've been active participation on the cast's part; and it would've been nice to get a little more time for certain character's experiences to sink a bit deeper. The exhaustion for example over the last couple "days" of the story doesn't come across too well because Crichton doesn't spend enough time on it.
Very little of the material was bad, and what I would consider mediocre about "The Terminal Man" is merely to the degree that expansion of the novel could've fixed them without any issue at all. Well...I guess the cognitive dissonance that the technology and subject matter yielded in my brain was a little off-putting at times (and didn't age well in some cases), but that might be a personal problem more than anything. There's at least something to be said for the thematic material regarding mingling man and machine and even the simple overreliance on machines and computers...and Crichton was DEFINITELY ahead of his time on this front given that it would be 2-ish decades before home computers were becoming commonly popular or affordable and we probably didn't have any true collective notion of "AI" at the time of the book's writing. So yeah, my criticisms are very minor - negligible, even - in the grand scheme of things, and prove that Crichton was definitely on the right track with his work.
[EDIT: I forgot that I'm not huge on the status of the ending of this book - potentially my only TRUE insightful criticism...I definitely would've liked more resolution there.]
Like I said, I wanted to give this one 4 stars, because the story (combined with the surprising handling of the themes I just brought up) are pretty great, but there was just enough "empty space" so to speak throughout the book that I was left a bit wanting in the end.
But if there's anything I will never forget about "The Terminal Man", it's the déjà vu that it gave me. This book references some very specific material about, well, the p-terminal of the human brain that I had read about in "Infinite Jest" like 1 or maybe 2 days before. If you know the context from IJ, you know exactly what I'm saying. If you've only read this, recall the one guy came in wanting to get the chip for the sheer hedonistic pleasure of it, and again you know what I'm talking about. The fact I read that section in this book within 48 hours of reading it in "Infinite Jest" - especially when I started this one having no idea what it was about at all and having intended to start it much earlier (which would've still given me the déjà vu but backwards to be honest) - will never not be hilarious to me because I genuinely thought I was going crazy for a few hours until a friend confirmed my suspicions with a search in the "Infinite Jest" e-book.
It may seem like I didn't love "The Terminal Man" - and I guess I didn't *love* it overall - but I did enjoy my time thoroughly, and cannot wait to get to my next Crichton read soon...
...or at least, hopefully sooner than 2+ years from now.
April 7, 2019
This is a slightly different take on the life long competition bw man & machines. I absolutely love how Crichton weaves his stories around facts, it makes the story sound so compelling. It also perfectly captures in all its irony, the unwillingness of scientists to accept anything other than data, how even the most well laid plans can become a mess, and how ppl who we underestimate almost always win the show.
I luved every bit of this book except the ending which was very anticlimactic.
There was a moral to the stort as well, that when women tell u something, u better listen to them :)
I luved every bit of this book except the ending which was very anticlimactic.
There was a moral to the stort as well, that when women tell u something, u better listen to them :)
November 23, 2024
Michael Crichton really knows how to write an exceptional and captivating book. I noticed the bibliography includes a great deal of other books where he has researched the subject he is writing about, Machines vs. Humans. I thought it was a very good read and highly recommend it.
April 2, 2011
I had high hopes for this book after reading Crichton's 'The Andromeda Strain.' I thought it would be another techno-thriller with the same kind of intriguing ideas and medical realism that would make the plot believeable and far-fetched at the same time. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Perhaps the book is dated in the sense that a man receiving brain implants and receiving shocks in order to stimulate the brain is no longer science-fiction and rather is a reality of today's medicine. Furthermore, the ideas of a war between man and machine are standard Hollywood staples nowadays.
The book sorely lacks characterization and some of the main character's motivations are completely unbelievable. These paper-thin characters are constantly comparing man to computers and are constantly day-dreaming about the ways in which man and machine are the same. Even if I try and place myself in the early 1970's (when the book was published) and pretend that the comparison of man to a computer is a new and exciting revelation I would still have a problem with the ham-fisted ways that Crichton goes about comparing man and machine. Frequently characters refer to thinking as 'processing' and there are several other instances of these obvious comparisons.
The paper-thin characters would be more forgiveable if the book had a strong-plot. I didn't start reading a Michael Crichton book expecting strong characterization; I was expecting a page turner with under-developed but mostly-believable larger than life characters. It fell short in every way. The weak characters were not compensated with an exciting plot. I found myself bored almost the entire way through. Usually with page-turners the plot engages you so much that you are swept up by it and distracts you from the weak characterization, but the weak story just highlighted all of the books other faults.
The plot itself is somewhat ridiculous and the story basically becomes a killer on the loose story. (Don't worry I haven't revealed any more than the book jacket itself). If you look at the book as a killer-thriller it is still boring and clumsily written. Due to the killer's medical condition it diffuses the killer's responsibility and therefore takes all of the emotion out of the book. It becomes a hackneyed morality play in which it could be argued that the doctors are more responsible for the murders than the murderer himself.
Without revealing any specifics, the book culminates in such an unbelievably contrived and easily foreseeable (so foreseeable that the killer himself predicts the ending about 60 pages before it happens), that when it ends you find yourself turning the page and expecting another chapter to add some sort of originality or real meaning to the book.
The ending is so bad that you wish you could unread the last chapter and leave it as a 'bad book that may at-least have a fun ending.' But the ending is so stupid and contrived that it is laughable.
This was one of the worst books that I have ever read. It made me wonder if Crichton had to write this quickly to bank in on the success of The Andromeda Strain.
Anyhow, when I read 'The Andromeda Strain' I thought that I might buy a few more Crichton books to have for rainy days when I just want an easy, fun book. The Terminal Man has made me seriously question Crichton's ability. I will probably read Jurrasic Park someday as it is known as one of his better books, but I certainly won't think of Crichton as a reliable author.
Don't read The Terminal Man. There are so many good books in this world- more good reads than you can read in a lifetime. Don't waste your time on this one.
The book sorely lacks characterization and some of the main character's motivations are completely unbelievable. These paper-thin characters are constantly comparing man to computers and are constantly day-dreaming about the ways in which man and machine are the same. Even if I try and place myself in the early 1970's (when the book was published) and pretend that the comparison of man to a computer is a new and exciting revelation I would still have a problem with the ham-fisted ways that Crichton goes about comparing man and machine. Frequently characters refer to thinking as 'processing' and there are several other instances of these obvious comparisons.
The paper-thin characters would be more forgiveable if the book had a strong-plot. I didn't start reading a Michael Crichton book expecting strong characterization; I was expecting a page turner with under-developed but mostly-believable larger than life characters. It fell short in every way. The weak characters were not compensated with an exciting plot. I found myself bored almost the entire way through. Usually with page-turners the plot engages you so much that you are swept up by it and distracts you from the weak characterization, but the weak story just highlighted all of the books other faults.
The plot itself is somewhat ridiculous and the story basically becomes a killer on the loose story. (Don't worry I haven't revealed any more than the book jacket itself). If you look at the book as a killer-thriller it is still boring and clumsily written. Due to the killer's medical condition it diffuses the killer's responsibility and therefore takes all of the emotion out of the book. It becomes a hackneyed morality play in which it could be argued that the doctors are more responsible for the murders than the murderer himself.
Without revealing any specifics, the book culminates in such an unbelievably contrived and easily foreseeable (so foreseeable that the killer himself predicts the ending about 60 pages before it happens), that when it ends you find yourself turning the page and expecting another chapter to add some sort of originality or real meaning to the book.
The ending is so bad that you wish you could unread the last chapter and leave it as a 'bad book that may at-least have a fun ending.' But the ending is so stupid and contrived that it is laughable.
This was one of the worst books that I have ever read. It made me wonder if Crichton had to write this quickly to bank in on the success of The Andromeda Strain.
Anyhow, when I read 'The Andromeda Strain' I thought that I might buy a few more Crichton books to have for rainy days when I just want an easy, fun book. The Terminal Man has made me seriously question Crichton's ability. I will probably read Jurrasic Park someday as it is known as one of his better books, but I certainly won't think of Crichton as a reliable author.
Don't read The Terminal Man. There are so many good books in this world- more good reads than you can read in a lifetime. Don't waste your time on this one.
May 3, 2013
The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton.
One of Crichton's earlier works The Terminal Man is not as polished or as engaging as his later Science Fiction or Medical Fiction, but the hint of greatness is definitely evident and despite the fact that the books is 41 years old this year the story is still a compelling read with a few unexpected twists and turns. The Terminal Man is the story of, Harry Benson, a normal man who following a car accident develops a violent side which is triggered by a seizure and a black out. The technical medical term (I looked it up) is "psychomotor epilepsy." Medical science steps in to try to an experiment in mind control, embedding a series of wires in the mans brain with a computer control to spark the right synapses when it detects that a seizure is about to happen. If you're a student of medical history you'll be familiar with the story of Phineas Gage and you'll note some similarities here. For everyone else this is a Jekyll and Hyde story without the magic potion.
Without giving too much away the action of the story really gets going when you find out that due to a miscalculation and a psychological misreading of the patient the effect of the surgery is only delaying the eventual release of Benson's dark violent side. He's a man with a ticking time bomb inside his head and anyone in his way when it goes off is in for a world of hurt.
They made a movie version of this book in 74, but I haven't seen it. However I did see a very good Christopher Walken film called "The Happiness Cage" or "The Mind Snatchers" depending on which release you see that covers some of the same ground. That movie came out in 1972 as well, so I wonder if the book influenced the movie or vice versa, or it's just another of those cases where an ideas time had come and several people ran with it. Probably the later.
In any case, if you like Crichton this is a fast read and holds up well. It's not his best, but it won't put you to sleep and the science it describes is still relevant today as we're not really all that more informed about what all the different parts of the brain actually do. It's still a brave frontier and there's a lot of room for research and growth.
One of Crichton's earlier works The Terminal Man is not as polished or as engaging as his later Science Fiction or Medical Fiction, but the hint of greatness is definitely evident and despite the fact that the books is 41 years old this year the story is still a compelling read with a few unexpected twists and turns. The Terminal Man is the story of, Harry Benson, a normal man who following a car accident develops a violent side which is triggered by a seizure and a black out. The technical medical term (I looked it up) is "psychomotor epilepsy." Medical science steps in to try to an experiment in mind control, embedding a series of wires in the mans brain with a computer control to spark the right synapses when it detects that a seizure is about to happen. If you're a student of medical history you'll be familiar with the story of Phineas Gage and you'll note some similarities here. For everyone else this is a Jekyll and Hyde story without the magic potion.
Without giving too much away the action of the story really gets going when you find out that due to a miscalculation and a psychological misreading of the patient the effect of the surgery is only delaying the eventual release of Benson's dark violent side. He's a man with a ticking time bomb inside his head and anyone in his way when it goes off is in for a world of hurt.
They made a movie version of this book in 74, but I haven't seen it. However I did see a very good Christopher Walken film called "The Happiness Cage" or "The Mind Snatchers" depending on which release you see that covers some of the same ground. That movie came out in 1972 as well, so I wonder if the book influenced the movie or vice versa, or it's just another of those cases where an ideas time had come and several people ran with it. Probably the later.
In any case, if you like Crichton this is a fast read and holds up well. It's not his best, but it won't put you to sleep and the science it describes is still relevant today as we're not really all that more informed about what all the different parts of the brain actually do. It's still a brave frontier and there's a lot of room for research and growth.
December 18, 2023
The book uses Crichton's training as a medical professional to address Medical and Technological themes ahead of its time (1972), such as the ethical implications of using medical technology to alter behavior and the potential dangers of relying too heavily on technological solutions for psychological issues.
July 11, 2017
Through the use of tools mankind has made unimaginable advances, and with the ever increasing advances in tools progress has come at increasing speed and complexity, but at what point are the advances untenable? At what point does the dependency on the tools become a weakness? At what point do we design our own destruction?
This is a classic 'man orchestrates his own downfall' or 'man created monster' warning tale, but at the same time it is a quick paced thriller. This might be my favorite Crichton so far - not that he is one of my favorite authors - but this book is short and while you can see that he has done his customary research, this book keeps the focus on a concise plot better than some others I have read by him (I'm looking at you Next). The reader can get a sense of the complicated nature of neuropsychiatry, and how little we understand the human brain (or at least how little we understood it in 1972) while not feeling like they are reading a fear-monger's treatise on the subject. We get the background, but only enough so that we can see the implications on the specific story. It is a story that will make you think, but also entertains.
This story specifically centers around a man named Henry Benson whom has brain damage, and partially due to this damage he has episodes of uncontrollable rage and psychosis, this man is also brilliant in his own right. At a research facility we have doctors and biotechnology experts that are on the cutting edge of neuropschiatry and they believe that they can implant a computer that will correct some of Benson's damage, and hopefully alleviate the violent attacks. Predictably, the excrement hits the air conditioning (to borrow a quote from Kurt Vonnegut) after the procedure has been completed. Overly eager and arrogant men can not control the impacts of their actions, nor the reactions of their test-subject. A chaotic and dangerous man is on the loose in L.A. and the only hope lies in the surgical hands of the very same people that implanted him to begin with, but his very psychosis that has been exacerbated by the implantation assures that he will not be seeking their help.
The characters are not the most well rounded and developed, but neither are they completely two-dimensional. For a quick and interesting thriller the level of characterization works well enough. For me this leans to the high-end of a three-star rating, it accomplishes what it sets out to do and is a fun, if somewhat dark, ride along the way.
This is a classic 'man orchestrates his own downfall' or 'man created monster' warning tale, but at the same time it is a quick paced thriller. This might be my favorite Crichton so far - not that he is one of my favorite authors - but this book is short and while you can see that he has done his customary research, this book keeps the focus on a concise plot better than some others I have read by him (I'm looking at you Next). The reader can get a sense of the complicated nature of neuropsychiatry, and how little we understand the human brain (or at least how little we understood it in 1972) while not feeling like they are reading a fear-monger's treatise on the subject. We get the background, but only enough so that we can see the implications on the specific story. It is a story that will make you think, but also entertains.
This story specifically centers around a man named Henry Benson whom has brain damage, and partially due to this damage he has episodes of uncontrollable rage and psychosis, this man is also brilliant in his own right. At a research facility we have doctors and biotechnology experts that are on the cutting edge of neuropschiatry and they believe that they can implant a computer that will correct some of Benson's damage, and hopefully alleviate the violent attacks. Predictably, the excrement hits the air conditioning (to borrow a quote from Kurt Vonnegut) after the procedure has been completed. Overly eager and arrogant men can not control the impacts of their actions, nor the reactions of their test-subject. A chaotic and dangerous man is on the loose in L.A. and the only hope lies in the surgical hands of the very same people that implanted him to begin with, but his very psychosis that has been exacerbated by the implantation assures that he will not be seeking their help.
The characters are not the most well rounded and developed, but neither are they completely two-dimensional. For a quick and interesting thriller the level of characterization works well enough. For me this leans to the high-end of a three-star rating, it accomplishes what it sets out to do and is a fun, if somewhat dark, ride along the way.
Read
August 6, 2020Δείτε και την κριτική μου στα ελληνικά στις βιβλιοαλχημείες.
The Terminal Man was the first book by Crichton I read this year.
It was the 2nd novel Crichton published under his own name, in 1972, the 13th he wrote in total.
If his 1968 book A Case of Need was a pure medical thriller, this one is a medical thriller with a touch of science fiction.
It has some vibes of Jekyll and Hyde blended with some hints of Frankenstein.
Our protagonist is Harry Benson a computer scientist suffering from violent seizures and periods of blackout.
He has an operation where a microchip will somehow control his seizures.
But instead of lessening his seizures he's able to control them himself, voluntarily, becoming a homicidal maniac.
This is because he is obsessed with a mania: Thinking that computers will take over the world and those responsible should die.
A typical Crichton novel: action packed, interesting scientific information dumps, and extensive bibliography at the end, showing every time his thorough research on the subject matter of the book.
Another thing that I enjoyed in this book are the retro 1970's vibes it has.
It was adapted into screen two years later, in 1974.
June 25, 2024
This was overall a decent read. I think it had a good story, good bones but something was lacking. It could be that it was one of Crichton's earliest works. If you are a fan of his, it's worth reading.
October 22, 2024
No me encantó, me imagine miles de vertientes que pudo tomar la trama y tomaron la más predecible.
Y el.final... meh
Y el.final... meh
December 8, 2015
It was rather ironic to jump from Henry Marsh’s account to Michael Crichton and both these books are based on neurosurgery. The important point to note was that these two books are as different as chalk and cheese. Having read through almost all of Crichton’s oeuvre, I think this is one of his weakest books.
The premise is standard Crichton fare of science running amok and how we finally fix it. It goes like :
Scientists goof up.
Trouble begins and goes unnoticed.
Trouble escalates.
People die.
Heroes step in.
Wham, bam, thank you ma’am and sirs !
The end.
There you have it ! Science, you are too naughty !
The premise is standard Crichton fare of science running amok and how we finally fix it. It goes like :
Scientists goof up.
Trouble begins and goes unnoticed.
Trouble escalates.
People die.
Heroes step in.
Wham, bam, thank you ma’am and sirs !
The end.
There you have it ! Science, you are too naughty !
April 11, 2022
This book was originally written 1972 or so…. So it’s a bit outdated. So you have to work through that. He explaining computers….CRT monitors…quite funny in one sense.
Updated, it might be a stronger book. Crichton does bring a lot of commentary to a topic. Which should make you think. Though I didn’t think it’s one of his stronger stories
Updated, it might be a stronger book. Crichton does bring a lot of commentary to a topic. Which should make you think. Though I didn’t think it’s one of his stronger stories
September 3, 2021
Mi risultano del tutto incomprensibili i commenti che definiscono questo libro quasi comico solo perché la tecnologia descritta è superata... mi sembrano ragionamenti di chi guarda il dito anziché la luna che esso indica. Il messaggio che Crichton vuole comunicare non è certamente compromesso solo perché si parla attraverso un telefono con filo o perché i computer occupano un'intera stanza. A mio modo di vedere la forza della storia resta intatta anche leggendolo ai giorni nostri... e quanti scrittori successivi hanno copiato da questo romanzo del 1972! Il libro non è perfetto, in particolare mi aspettavo alcuni approfondimenti in più e soprattutto un finale più incisivo e meno affrettato. Resta comunque una lettura consigliata e uno dei migliori Crichton che ho letto finora. Il mio voto: 3,5 stelle.
July 28, 2020
Almost 50-year old techno-thrillers are problematic. They become very accurate Historical fiction.
In places the story was a history of computer technology lesson. The changes in medical science were likewise dramatic. Otherwise, The Real World is a bit behind Crichton's stated Cyborg timeline, despite the popularity of body hacking.
In addition, I received a jolt of Culture Shock. Its always helpful to be reminded how folks attitudes have changed in the past two (2) generations.
Finally, I found the narrative to be rather sterile, despite its medical plot. The look 'n feel of the info-dumps bled over into a wooden narrative. I suspect that 50-years ago folks were more enamored by the tech in the story? They didn't notice the problems in the thriller's plot.
In places the story was a history of computer technology lesson. The changes in medical science were likewise dramatic. Otherwise, The Real World is a bit behind Crichton's stated Cyborg timeline, despite the popularity of body hacking.
In addition, I received a jolt of Culture Shock. Its always helpful to be reminded how folks attitudes have changed in the past two (2) generations.
Finally, I found the narrative to be rather sterile, despite its medical plot. The look 'n feel of the info-dumps bled over into a wooden narrative. I suspect that 50-years ago folks were more enamored by the tech in the story? They didn't notice the problems in the thriller's plot.
April 4, 2025
3.5/5
A fun book! Terrifying in parts, a little boring in others, but overall kept me going with its strong momentum and pulled me out of a reading slump. It was fascinating to read about all these different scientific theories (did you know the obvious next stop for computers in 1972 was biological ones?) that are dated and some that are still relevant. I was surprised that the premise from the back of the book is almost over half of the book - it spends a lot of time pre-op. There's a good bit of discussion of Benson's mental state and whether its medically ethical to spend this money on him which was interesting to read and parse. Definitely has aged quite a bit in parts, but nothing super egregious and I'm excited to read more Crichton!
A fun book! Terrifying in parts, a little boring in others, but overall kept me going with its strong momentum and pulled me out of a reading slump. It was fascinating to read about all these different scientific theories (did you know the obvious next stop for computers in 1972 was biological ones?) that are dated and some that are still relevant. I was surprised that the premise from the back of the book is almost over half of the book - it spends a lot of time pre-op. There's a good bit of discussion of Benson's mental state and whether its medically ethical to spend this money on him which was interesting to read and parse. Definitely has aged quite a bit in parts, but nothing super egregious and I'm excited to read more Crichton!
September 21, 2023
CW: ableism, medical content
Hey OP, do you take criticism? Maybe don't put plutonium inside of people. Just a suggestion tho!!
Anyway lol. The neuroscience is thoroughly researched and interesting, but the whole presentation of the computer simulation plot points was practically unintelligible.
Female characters? Atrocious. "Men take showers. Women take baths." Literally get out of my house lmao.
But at least it had graphs!
Hey OP, do you take criticism? Maybe don't put plutonium inside of people. Just a suggestion tho!!
Anyway lol. The neuroscience is thoroughly researched and interesting, but the whole presentation of the computer simulation plot points was practically unintelligible.
Female characters? Atrocious. "Men take showers. Women take baths." Literally get out of my house lmao.
But at least it had graphs!
June 19, 2025
Solid 4.0 - Stars
I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this one and I can't see why. I not sure if going in with the knowledge set the bar very low for my expectations for for a science fiction book nearly as old as I am, I rather enjoyed it. I found the story, characters and science of it entertaining.
I'm not sure if I'll write up a full review on this or not. We shall see what the future holds.
I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this one and I can't see why. I not sure if going in with the knowledge set the bar very low for my expectations for for a science fiction book nearly as old as I am, I rather enjoyed it. I found the story, characters and science of it entertaining.
I'm not sure if I'll write up a full review on this or not. We shall see what the future holds.
February 26, 2019
6/10. Media de los 6 libros leídos del autor: 7/10
Pues aunque sus pelis suelen ser bastante efectivas, esta novela como que no me dijo mucho. Prescindible, pillaos otra.
Pues aunque sus pelis suelen ser bastante efectivas, esta novela como que no me dijo mucho. Prescindible, pillaos otra.
September 28, 2022
It was beauty killed the Terminal Man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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