Title: Jurassic Park

Author: Michael Crichton

Date of First Publication: 1990

Place of Publication: Alfred A. Knopf

Type: Novel

Characters: No Character

Themes: BYRONIC HERO; MAD SCIENTIST/MONSTER; RACE/POLITICS

Critical Summary: After a series of mysterious “lizard” attacks, John Hammond, founder of InGen and the mastermind behind a “secret” park, brings in Dr. Alan Grant, a world leading paleontologist, and his assistant, Ellie Sattler, to convince the board of investors of the profitability of his newly created “Jurassic” park. The board in return brings in the corporate lawyer, Donald Gennaro, and mathematician, Ian Malcolm, to assess the park’s dangers. As the specialists are brought to the island where the park is being created, it becomes clear that the top secret project InGen has been investing in is a massive dinosaur theme park located on the fictional island of Isla Nublar. Hammond enlisted the help of Dr. Wu to genetically engineer real dinosaurs for his park. Things go wrong when the park’s computer technician Dennis Nedry shuts down the park’s security systems in order to steal dinosaur embryos to sell to a rival company. This causes all the rest of the park’s systems to malfunction and the dinosaurs end up getting loose in the park. The park is plunged into chaos sand the island’s guests try to survive a nightmare.

Like Victor Frankenstein, there are multiple characters in the novel who are Byronic heroes. John Hammond is a passionate and ambitious man. He is relentless in his pursuit to get the park open. Despite his catchphrase “spare no expense,”  he cuts many corners in the construction of the park, and he tries to replace as many employees as possible with computer automation. Another byronic hero, Dr. Henry Wu, is also a mad scientist. He is the mastermind behind the entire dinosaur engineering program, and due to his success, he believes himself to be a god. His creatures are not true dinosaurs, but like Frankenstein’s creature, a mismatch collection of DNA from many different animals spliced together without paying mind to the consequences.

Administrative Notes: Quang Trung (Ben) Le, CSUF; Michael Maltbie, CSUF; Alexandra Roman CSUF (editing)