Next was published by HarperCollins in November 2006 and is Crichton’s last novel published during his lifetime (he died in 2008). The novel is structured as a multi-threaded narrative — dozens of characters and storylines, intersecting and diverging — exploring the legal, ethical, and commercial implications of genetic technology. A man discovers that his cells, removed during cancer treatment, have been patented by the university that treated him. A talking parrot with human genes escapes a laboratory. A transgenic ape-human hybrid named Dave is raised by a researcher and struggles to be accepted in school.
The novel is more satirical than thrilling: Crichton is furious about gene patents (the Supreme Court case Diamond v. Chakrabarty, which allowed the patenting of living organisms, is the novel’s real target), about the commercialization of genetic research, and about the gap between what genetics can do and what the legal system understands about what it does.
The Gene Patent Argument
The novel’s central polemic — that gene patents are legally incoherent and ethically disastrous — has been substantially vindicated. The 2013 Supreme Court decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics ruled that naturally occurring DNA segments cannot be patented, effectively overturning the Chakrabarty precedent that Crichton attacked. Crichton did not live to see the decision, but Next was cited in amicus briefs during the case.
Structure and Reception
The multi-threaded narrative — some readers counted over a dozen separate storylines — was polarising. Critics who admired Crichton’s tight procedurals found the structure diffuse and unfocused. Others appreciated the kaleidoscopic approach as appropriate to a subject (genetic technology) that touches every aspect of society simultaneously. The talking parrot and the transgenic ape-boy were particularly divisive: brilliant satire or absurd farce, depending on the reader.
Collecting Next
First edition (2006, HarperCollins, New York): Boards with dust jacket. First printing.
Approximate market values:
- Fine/Fine in dust jacket: $40–$100
- Signed first edition: $100–$300
- Without jacket: $5–$15
As Crichton’s final lifetime novel, it has memorial-collecting interest. Crichton died on November 4, 2008, at age sixty-six, of lymphoma.
Value trajectory (2016–2026): Minimal.
Projected values (2026–2036): Moderate for signed copies ($200–$500). The novel’s prescience about gene patents and genetic ethics may increase its reputation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Crichton right about gene patents? Largely, yes. The Supreme Court substantially agreed with his position in 2013. The broader argument — that the commercialisation of genetics serves corporate interests rather than public health — remains active.
Is this a good Crichton novel? It is his angriest and most structurally experimental. Readers who want the classic Crichton formula (single crisis, team of experts, procedural resolution) will be disappointed. Readers who appreciate the range and fury of his late-career concerns may find it his most interesting work.