Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton has been published posthumously, but it bears the mark of his earlier work with languid descriptions, soaring adventure, and intriguing mystery.
About ‘Dragon Teeth’ by Michael Crichton
The year is 1876. Warring Indian tribes still populate America’s western territories even as lawless gold-rush towns begin to mark the landscape. In much of the country, it is still illegal to espouse evolution. Against this backdrop, two monomaniacal paleontologists pillage the Wild West, hunting for dinosaur fossils, while surveilling, deceiving and sabotaging each other in a rivalry that will come to be known as the Bone Wars.
Into this treacherous territory plunges the arrogant and entitled William Johnson, a Yale student with more privilege than sense. Determined to survive a summer in the West to win a bet against his arch-rival, William has joined world-renowned paleontologist Othniel Charles Marsh on his latest expedition. But when the paranoid and secretive Marsh becomes convinced that William is spying for his nemesis, Edwin Drinker Cope, he abandons him in Cheyenne, Wyoming, a locus of crime and vice. William is forced to join forces with Cope and soon stumbles upon a discovery of historic proportions. With this extraordinary treasure, however, comes exceptional danger, and William’s newfound resilience will be tested in his struggle to protect his cache, which pits him against some of the West’s most notorious characters.
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‘Dragon Teeth’ book review
Dragon Teeth is one of those books whose story behind the story may actually be more fascinating than the novel itself. That’s not a swipe at the work or the author; Crichton’s storytelling has always been captivating, and this newly discovered manuscript is no exception. Rather, the idea that we’re getting another one of his books even after his death is sure to be bitter sweet to his fans.
This is not the first book to be published posthumously. That honor goes to Pirate Latitudes in 2009. It happened again with Micro in 2011. It has been six years since the latest book from Crichton, however, with the announcement of the new title coming in late July of 2016. Crichton’s wife, Sherri, had been working on creating the Michael Crichton Archives when she discovered the manuscript.
In a press release, she says, “When I came across the Dragon Teeth manuscript in the files, I was immediately captivated. It has Michael’s voice, his love of history, research and science all dynamically woven into an epic tale.”
Reading Dragon Teeth has proven Sherri’s words to be true. The story is immediately vibrant, not least because of the two rival scientists, Marsh and Cope, both of whom are memorable characters against an expansive and dangerous backdrop of the Wild West.
Though the story centers on Johnson, it is these two men who drive the narrative. Their antagonisms make for both hilarious and dangerous situations, made all the more intriguing because they are based in fact.
Research is where Crichton shines. It is the reason why so many of his books have become timeless classics. He had a way of making the impossible plausible, and that is always a fantastic basis for a captivating novel.
What usually loses me, however, is Crichton’s penchant for description and the leisurely way he presents his stories. There is nothing wrong with this style of writing; only that I am likely to put his novels down much more frequently, rather than burn through them in one sitting.
Dragon Teeth is different, however. The story is still unhurried — you only get to the actual bones about halfway through the novel — but in a way that highlights the main cast of characters, making them more tangible and human. He sets them up as real people, not wholly likable or good, so that when they come up against obstacles in the future, you either feel vindicated in your hatred of them or sorry for the turn of events.
It is a shame Michael Crichton left so many manuscripts to be published following his death, if only because he is not able to see that his fans will still devour anything with his trademark style and flair. On the other hand, it is wonderful for those of us who love his stories to know that there is always hope for more.
If you’d like to learn more about Michael Crichton, be sure to listen to our Book Hype special on the author.
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