Book Review - The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton

Rating: 9/10

Harry Benson suffers from psychomotor epilepsy. He often has seizures which are followed by blackouts, which often result to his injuring someone near him fatally. Doctors Ellis and Morris of the University Hospital are certain that they can "cure" Benson of these seizures by implanting 40 electrodes in his brain that would stop the seizures from occurring. However, a female psychiatrist, Janet Ross, and an emeritus professor, Manon, question the nature of Benson's mind which is, according to them, psychotic. In spite of this, the two doctors operate on Benson. The operation is successful and things seem to be going well, until Benson finds a way to stimulate the seizures himself. He escapes the hospital, and starts wreaking havoc.

The Terminal Man is basically a medical fiction novel, but I completely understood it. That alone makes it awesome. It's readable and easy to understand, even for a non-scientific person (like me). What Michael Crichton suggested here - mind control - is not far from happening, and it's really, really scary. (That's probably the reason why I read sci-fi - because it predicts things that could happen in the future)

Another subject that is discussed in the novel is the idea that machines are replacing people. This is indeed true in our present day. We've probably heard of workers losing their jobs because machines are being installed in factories for faster production. In this concept, I don't think Benson was psychotic, because it's happening right now.

The idea of a brain pacemaker is cool, I think. But, of course, it has its down side too, as Crichton discussed in the novel. Take that Backerman guy for example. Medical science is trying to find ways to cure people, not entertain them.

Now, mind control is interesting. I liked that paragraph about humans having their minds controlled since birth. This is one of the things that happen which is not usually noticed by most people. Mind control is a reality.

Okay. So I pretty much liked The Terminal Man. Next to Tess Gerritsen's Gravity, this is one of the best medical fiction book I've read (so far).

Book Review - The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Rating: 8/10

The Invisible Man is the story of Griffin, a young scientist who discovers a way to turn anything transparent through the refraction of light. Realizing the drawbacks of his strange "power," Griffin moves to Iping, a small village in the countryside, to find a way to somehow reverse the process. But, soon, people begin to be suspicious of the bandaged stranger...

H.G. Wells, as before (The Food of the Gods), is a great writer; he certainly knows what he is talking about. The process of Griffin's transformation from flesh and blood to an invisible man is explained thoroughly. However, this could induce an eyebrow-raising event for the not-so-scientific reader (like me). I find the explanation technical (although I'm sure Wells tried to make it "readable").

That's about the only drawback in the book, for me. Everything is well crafted and well done. It's a nice book and it certainly set the stage for science fiction. :)

Book Review - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Rating: 10/10

Frankenstein is the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young man who devised a way to give life to inanimate objects. He performed an experiment wherein he collected "materials," put them together, and gave life to a creature of gigantic stature and horrible features (it is sometimes referred to as "demon" or "ogre"). Upon waking up, Frankenstein realizes his mistake and fear engulfs his heart. It's a carefully crafted story that will thrill readers of all ages.

Now this is what real horror is all about! Mary Shelley delivers a great masterpiece of a book by showing the reader the human. Harold Bloom writes: "The greatest paradox and most astonishing achievement of Mary Shelley's novel is that the monster is more human than his creator." Thus, it is true. Actually, my awe shifts from Frankenstein to his creation. It's a powerful novel. What else is there to say?..

By the way, the monster in the book did not have screws. XD