The Terminal Man (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Harry has a problem. Ever since getting in a car accident, he's suffered from "thought seizures," violent fits in which he attacks other people. He used to be an artificial intelligence researcher, which may explain why he targets anyone who either works on machines or who acts like a machine--mechanics, gas-station attendants, prostitutes, exotic dancers. But there's hope: he can become part machine himself, undergoing "Stage 3," an experimental procedure implanting 40 electrodes deep in the pleasure centers of his brain. The surgery is successful, and blissful pulses of electricity short-circuit Harry's seizures. That is, until Harry figures out how to overload himself with the satisfying jolts and escapes on a murderous rampage. One of Crichton's earliest, playing ably on '70s fears of computers and mind control. --Paul Hughes

Product Description

Hearry Benson suffers from violent seizures. When he becomes part of an experimental program that sends electrodes to his brain to calm him, he is in recovery. Until he discovers how to get those soothing pulses more frequently, and then escapes the hopsital--on a murderous rampage with a deadly agenda....

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (July 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345354621
• ISBN-13: 978-0345354624
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,773,218 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Sci Fi, June 25, 2003

By	James Duckett (St. George, Utah) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Terminal Man (Mass Market Paperback)

For a book written at its time, it is almost like prophecy the things it mentions about computers. It most definately makes you think (and fear) about computers and what it can do to our society.

I have a big complaint that books written about computers are often way off the mark (ie, The Net). But this one does extremely, extraordinarilly well. A fast read that is hard to put down. This book has made me a Michael Crichton fan. I'm excited to start reading his other works.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, But Not His Best, July 8, 2000

By	VoodooLord7 (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This is a pretty good offering from Michael Crichton. Like all of his books, it is a page-turner, I read it in one sitting once I had the chance. It is a good story, and has some thought-provoking scenes. However, it's not Crichton's best work. Why? Well, there are some scenes that explain certain complex medical procedures in detail that many people may find self-indulgent. Also, the ending was weak.

Still, this is a Crichton book for God's sake, so it is good, just not his best. Don't make this your first read of MC (or the second or third for that matter), but do read it... eventually.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The age is noticable, January 29, 2001

By	"garbageman" (Sterling, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Terminal Man (Paperback)

First written in 1971, The Terminal Man is one of Michael Crichton's very first novels. As an avid reader of Crichton's books, I found it interesting to see how his style has changed, and it certainly has.

The different time period gives the book an awkward touch. Fans of Crichton know that he includes top of the line technology in each story he creates. The Terminal Man is no different. However, times have changed. Dime-size computer chips are no longer an oddity, and it's strange to hear them referred to as so.

To those who have read Jurassic Park or The Great Train Robbery, The Terminal Man will seem slow. Indeed, it is. The reader will be well through the first half of the novel before the story picks up and the action begins. This means that the first half of the book is generally an introduction. It's not unreadable, but it's a bit difficult to stick with.

Unlike his other works, The Terminal Man has few complexities. There are no side-stories, no backgrounds on characters, and few technological explanations- usually so common to Crichton's writing. This makes the story easier to read, but at times you'll find you really could use a little more information on some of the main characters. It's like coming into a movie 15 minutes through. You get the gist of what's going on, but you know something is missing.

It is an interesting read filled with a good deal of suspense to keep the reader going for a while. But it doesn't compare to his later works. Only purchase this as an insight to the author's early career, try not to expect another Jurassic Park.