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Next, a novel written in by Michael Crichton, is slow at first, laying down the groundwork by following scientific-laden plots about scientists working in labs and doing experiments with monkies.

As the book continues, the scientific story gains a human element, with the emergence of the results of genetic engineering experiments gone wrong -- or right, depending on your personal views. The book jumps back and forth between several plot lines that intersect in many ways, like the genes experimenters play with in this novel.

Corporate ownership of chromosomes, human-ape hybrids, gene therapy and DNA in court are some of the themes written about, as the characters endure trials of success and failure in Crichton's thoughts about the future of science.

For fans of futuristic and scientific storytelling, Crichton's Next is a great read. Written in 2006, Next is the last work released before Crichton's death in late 2008 (Pirate Latitudes was discovered on his hard drive by an associate and published soon after).

Crichton signed a two-book deal, the first of the series is Next, and the second is a yet-to-be-released novel that publisher Harper Collins and Crichton's management was in the process of selecting a co-author to finish the work based on Crichton's notes. The novel is expected to be released in the fall of 2010.