Terminal Man

by Michael Crichton

Book Overview

Harry Benson is prone to violent, uncontrollable seizures and is under police guard after attacking two people. Dr. Roger McPherson, head of the prestigious Neuropsychiatric Research Unit at... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394447689
• ISBN13: 9780394447681
• Release Date: April 1972
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Interesting and Riveting!

I recently picked up a used copy of this book not because it was written by Michael Crichton, but because the story sounded interesting. To be honest, I've never even read a Michael Crichton book until this one. I have been a computer network engineer and database developer for more than 12 years, and have worked for 16 years in hospitals (Pharmacy, Information Systems, etc...) So, with that background, I found this book even more interesting and appealing.One of the reviews says that this book is "Riveting." I can't find a more precise word to describe this novel. This was a real page-turner for me. I love to read but, unfortunately, do not have a lot of time to do so. I finished this entire book in one week; I couldn't put it down. If you have an interest at all in thrillers, medicine, or computers, or combination of these, definitely pick up this book and give it a read. Granted, while the technology and medical practices in the book are dated, the book focuses on neither of these. Crichton succeeds in constructing and developing two main characters (Harry Benson and Dr. Ross) whose lives are intertwined throughout the book. Crichton is definitely a master story teller and this book, again as dated as it is (1972 or so), is a perfect example of how Crichton excels at story telling (plot, character development, setting). Crichton's writing is concise yet descriptive. In one scene, he describes the operating room in which Benson gets his surgery. In only a limited number of very concisely written paragraphs, Crichton gives the reader the whole rundown of the operating room. He paints a thorough descriptive picture, but in as few words as possible. He is definitely a master storycraftsman.I highly recommend this book -- you won't regret it!

Excellent Sci Fi

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.

Was the most compelling, provocative, stimulating book ever!

I have read many Michael Crichton books but this one tops it all. A very exciting story, keeps you reading. I give "The terminal man" a double thumbs up!!!!!!

another terrific title from a magnificant author!!

The Terminal Man is about a man, Harry Benson, who was in an automobile accident. The result of the accident was some mild brain damage. He was normal except for about two minutes per day. The auto accident has caused him to have psychomotor epilepsy. They send him into violent seizures and a state of mind that did not allow him to know what he was doing, or to who. Benson underwent a surgery in which a computer is implanted into his brain to cure the violent seizures. Electrodes that were connected to the miniature computer are placed deep into crevasses the brain too send monitored soothing pulses to its pleasure canyons.. Harry Benson has been cured, or so it seems, of his violent seizures by a surgical procedure known as a stage three. His hospital room is monitored day and night by armed policeman. Some how Benson manages to escape by stealing a white doctor's lab coat and sneaking out. By the time they notice he is missing he has become homicidal. Benson has discovered how to get the pulses with increasing frequency. Benson has become hopelessly addicted to the immediate gratification of stimuli in an exponential time scale. The doctors try to keep the incident quiet and return Benson alive. The only problem is they must track, capture, and bring him back to the lab before he is receiving his pleasure stimuli constantly. When this happens then he will be on a violent rampage in which nothing or nobody can stop. Over the course of the night that Benson has escaped and the doctors that performed the surgery are looking for him he does a number of things. The first place he goes is to his home. He figured that he must pick up some things. At this time he is acting normal. He called three women previous to his admission to the hospital and they come over to his house to care for it while he is absent. When one of the doctors goes to Benson's home he is not there, but he does find the women swimming in Benson's swimming pool. They tell the doctor that he had been there and picked up two objects, a blueprint and a lunch box. During the course of the night Benson rapes one female and then murders her. He severely beat an airplane mechanic among other people. The doctors seem to be following on his footsteps. It is fairly easy to follow because all they have to do is report to where nearly any violent crime had been committed. all in all this novel was not his best work but is certainly better that a lot of the other trash that is printed by other authors. i read this book on my own time. i could barely put it down, and i HATE to read. it was used as an example in my psychology book and i also wrote a review of it for that class.

Brilliant!

The Terminal Man is as suspenseful as it is dramatic. Almost unnoticed in the wake of Crichton's bestselling giants, the Lost World and Jurassic Park, this book brings up interesting questions of medical ethics. The author begins this book invoking some sympathy for Harry Benson, the victim/villain main character of this book. Harry seems confused, confused enough even to go on a horrific killing spree. He commits a heinous murder, which shifts a feeling of distrust to the reader. A manhunt ensues after this, developing the characters a bit more rapidly than they probably should be. But it is here that Crichton mixes in a large dose of excitement. Michael Cricton has once again displayed his brilliance in this novel with a captivating plot, interesting characters, and a deep moral. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a taste for suspense.