History Literature / Next2006

* [[spoiler:BatmanGambit: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech (his nephew) sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, forcing Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed were his property), destroying his reputation. Also buys gene patent that nullified research from Duke University. And sends his nephew somewhere he knows Bellarmino will be, thus eliminating both at once.]]

* TakeThat: The politician that Alex mentions prosecuting near the third act? The one that raped his two-year-old nephew and has a [[TeenyWeenie "small penis"]]? The one that's never mentioned again and has zero relevance to the plot? He just happens to share the name and college of a reviewer who was particularly critical of Crichton's previous novel ''Literature/StateOfFear''.

* BigBad: Rick Diehl

* TakeThat: The politician that Alex mentions prosecuting near the third act? The one that raped his two-year-old nephew and has a "small penis"? The one that's never mentioned again and has zero relevance to the plot? He just happens to share the name and college of a reviewer who was particularly critical of Crichton's previous novel ''Literature/StateOfFear''.

* [[spoiler:BatmanGambit: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech (his nephew) sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it (so he could dismantle it), forcing Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed were his property), destroying his reputation. Also buys gene patent that nullified research from Duke University so he could tear it up. And sends his nephew somewhere he knows Bellarmino will be, thus eliminating both at once.]]

%%* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Dr. Robert Bellarmino.]]

%%* [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled Better To Die than Be Arrested]]: The Bounty Hunter's first target.
* BigDamnHeroes: Jack Watson, for trying to take down an EvilCorporation. Also Alex for pointing a sawed-off shotgun at her son's kidnapper.
* BatmanGambit: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech (his nephew) sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it (so he could dismantle it), forcing Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed were his property), destroying his reputation. Also buys gene patent that nullified research from Duke University so he could tear it up.
%%* BigBad: Rick Diehl

%%* HalfHumanHybrid: Dave and Gerard.

* IronicDeath: Jack Watson had destroyed the cancer resistant cells, [[spoiler:but dies of a (fictional) strain of cancer the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Dr. Robert Bellarmino.]]

* [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled Better To Die than Be Arrested]]: The Bounty Hunter's first target.

* BigBad: Rick Diehl

* HalfHumanHybrid: Dave and Gerard.

* LoopholeAbuse: '''A key plot element.''' Current biotech laws are vauge enough that a lower court rules that [=BioGen=] owns not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:An appellate court pretty much crucifies Diehl for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

* [[TwoLinesNoWaiting Four Lines, No Waiting]]: asides from minor stories focusing on politicians or random observers, the four narrative lines of Dave, the Parrot, the bounty hunter, and a pedophile using genes as a defense often intertwine.

''[=NeXT=]'' is a 2006 novel, Creator/MichaelCrichton's final published novel. The plot intertwines several different stories. There are two main story arcs: that of a family trying to raise a transgenic HalfHumanHybrid in secret and that of a family who're being hunted down for "illegal theft" of their cancer-resistant genes. Sub-plots include an incredibly intelligent parrot, a pedophile working security for a genetics firm who is promptly framed for rape and is convinced by his lawyer to use genetics to excuse his behavior, a delusional hippie, a foul-mouthed orangutan, and the media hype surrounding it, a baby rapist with a small penis (who just happens to have the same name as Crichton's real-life critic) and a pair of bounty hunters hunting down said family.

* AssholeVictim: [[spoiler:Dr. Bellarmino.]]

* BatmanGambit: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech (his nephew) sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it (so he could dismantle it), forcing Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed were his property), which destroys his reputation. Also buys gene patent that nullified research from Duke University so he could tear it up.

* PoorCommunicationKills: Gordon, Watson's nephew using genes as a defense for a rape Diehl framed him for, falls victim to this. He's about to re-ride a roller coaster (so he can watch a couple young girls who are riding it) when someone comes up to him and says something about not getting many "adult repeaters". He's talking about repeating the ''roller coaster'', but Gordon thinks he means "repeat child molesters" and shoots him. He is gunned down soon after by some police officers/security guards.

* AbortedArc: The resolution as to whether John Weller was a Chimera (someone with two sets of DNA) and therefore whether or not Lisa was actually his daughter, never occurs in favor of [[spoiler:implying that he was poisoned by his wife and an intern's twin mixing up samples while stealing leg bones.]]

* BadassHero: Jack Watson, for trying to take down an EvilCorporation. Also Alex for pointing a sawed-off shotgun at her son's kidnapper.
* BatmanGambit: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech (his nephew) sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it so he could dismantle it, then tricks Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed were his property) to destroy his reputation. Also buys gene patent that nullified research from Duke University so he could tear it up.

* FrenchJerk: The talking orangutan swears in French, greatly annoying a French tourist who tried to speak with it.

* IronicDeath: Jack Watson had destroyed the cancer resistant cells, [[spoiler:dies of a (fictional) strain of cancer the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]
* LoopholeAbuse: '''A key plot element.''' Current biotech laws are vauge enough that a lower court rules that [=BioGen=] owns not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:A higher court pretty much crucifies Diego for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

* PoorCommunicationKills: Gordon, the pedophile using genes as a defense, falls victim to this. He's about to re-ride a roller coaster (so he can watch a couple young girls who are riding it) when someone comes up to him and says something about not getting many "adult repeaters". He's talking about repeating the ''roller coaster'', but Gordon thinks he means "repeat child molesters" and shoots him. He is gunned down soon after by some police officers/security guards.

* HalfHumanHybrid: Dave.

* [[LaserGuidedKarma Laser Guided Death]]: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, then tricks Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed he could convince a court were his property) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a fictional strain of cancer the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]
* LoopholeAbuse: '''A key plot element.''' Current biotech laws are vauge enough that Jack Watson is able to get a lower court to rule that [=BioGen=] owns not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:A higher court pretty much crucifies him for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

* TheyWouldCutYouUp: Watson has skilled enough lawyers(and current biotech laws are vague enough) that he actually gets a state court to give him legal permission for this.

Contains examples of the following tropes:

* [[LaserGuidedKarma Laser Guided Death]]: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, then tricks Diehl into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes (which he believed they did not own) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a fictional strain of cancer the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]

* HotterAndSexier: Continuing the trend started in ''StateOfFear'', there is a sex scene (albeit undetailed) in the beginning when a HighClassCallGirl serving as a delivery woman for genes spends a night with the recipient (a fat virginal slob of a scientist) and a gratuitous sex scene featuring woman who normally does not feel pleasure having an orgasm.

* TakeThat: The politician that Alex mentions prosecuting near the third act? The one that raped his two-year-old nephew and has a "small penis"? The one that's never mentioned again and has zero relevance to the plot? He just happens to share the name and college of a reviewer who was particularly critical of Crichton's previous novel ''StateOfFear''.

* AbortedArc: The resolution as to whether John Weller was a Chameara (someone with two sets of DNA) and therefore whether or not Lisa was actually his daughter, never occurs in favor of [[spoiler:implying that he was poisoned by his wife and an intern's twin mixing up samples while stealing leg bones.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, then sends bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he was able to win control of through LoopholeAbuse) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]
* LoopholeAbuse: '''A key plot element.''' Current biotech laws are vauge enough that Jack Watson is able to get a lower court to rule that [=BioGen=] owns not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:A higher court pretty much crucifies him for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, and hurts Diehl's reputation by tricking him into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he decided the company did not own) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]

* HotterAndSexier: Continuing the trend started in StateOfFear, there is a sex scene (albeit undetailed) in the beginning when a HighClassCallGirl serving as a delivery woman for genes spends a night with the recipient (a fat virginal slob of a scientist) and a gratuitous sex scene featuring woman who normally does not feel pleasure having an orgasm.

The book is entertaining and very informative, as Crichton is known for heavy amounts of research, but also basically Crichton [[AuthorTract yelling at the mainstream news for]] [[YouFailBiologyForever Failing Biology Forever]].

* AbortedArc - The resolution as to whether John Weller was a Chameara (someone with two sets of DNA) and therefore whether or not Lisa was actually his daughter, never occurs in favor of [[spoiler:implying that he was poisoned by his wife and an intern's twin mixing up samples while stealing leg bones.]]

* AuthorTract - There's an actual appendix outlining Crichton's views on the subject of genetic engineering and the laws about it.
* [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled Better To Die than Be Arrested]] - The Bounty Hunter's first target.

* FrenchJerk - The talking orangutan swears in French, greatly annoying a French tourist who tried to speak with it.
* HalfHumanHybrid - Dave.
* HotterAndSexier - Continuing the trend started in StateOfFear, there is a sex scene (albeit undetailed) in the beginning when a HighClassCallGirl serving as a delivery woman for genes spends a night with the recipient (a fat virginal slob of a scientist) and a gratuitous sex scene featuring woman who normally does not feel pleasure having an orgasm.
* LaserGuidedKarma - Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, and hurts Diehl's reputation by tricking him into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he decided the company did not own) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]

* [[TwoLinesNoWaiting Four Lines No Waiting]] - asides from minor stories focusing on politicians or random observers, the four narrative lines of Dave, the Parrot, the bounty hunter, and a pedophile using genes as a defense often intertwine.
* TakeThat - The politician that Alex mentions prosecuting near the third act? The one that raped his two-year-old nephew and has a "small penis"? The one that's never mentioned again and has zero relevance to the plot? He just happens to share the name and college of a reviewer who was particularly critical of Crichton's previous novel ''StateOfFear'
* TheyWouldCutYouUp - Watson has skilled enough lawyers(and current biotech laws are vague enough) that he actually gets a state court to give him legal permission for this.
* ThisIsAWorkOfFiction - [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]]
--> ''"This novel is fiction, except for the parts that aren't."''
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman - Like woah. First off, Dave's subplot is ''really'' sad (he's the transgenic half-human, half-chimpanzee). Second off, a gene-engineered ''parrot'' saves [[spoiler:a family on the run from a bounty hunter by faking shotgun noises]].
* YouCanPanicNow - Many of the "news report" chapters exist to criticize this kind of news reporting.

----

(This has nothing whatsoever to do with the [[AppleMacintosh computer company of roughly the same name.]] [[VideoGame/ArmoredCore Or with humongous mecha.]] Or the movie of the same name. Or the clothing chain Next.)

* LaserGuidedKarma - Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, then sends bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he decided the company "owned" due to LoopholeAbuse) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]
* LoopholeAbuse - Jack Watson is able to get a lower court to rule that [=BioGen=] owned not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:A higher court pretty much crucifies him for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma - Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, and hurts Diehl's reputation by tricking him into sending bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he decided the company did not own) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]

* AbortedArc - The resolution as to whether John Weller was a Chameara (someone with two sets of DNA) and therefore whether or not Lisa was actually his daughter, never occurs in favor of [[spoiler:implying that he was poisoned by his wife.]]

* BigBad: Jack Watson

* LaserGuidedKarma - Jack Watson, a venture capitalist who had a compromised [=BioGen=] lab tech sabotage their research to drive down its stock price prior to purchasing it, then sends bounty hunters to kidnap a family to procure more samples of cancer-resistant genes(which he decided the company "owned" due to LoopholeAbuse) he had destroyed as part of that sabotage, [[spoiler:dies of a cancer strain the company might have been able to treat if not for the sabotage.]]
* LoopholeAbuse - Jack Watson is able to get a lower court to rule that [=BioGen=] owned not only the cancer-reistant genes they purchased from a university, but also the rights to the donor's entire cell line - AKA ''him and his children.'' [[spoiler:A higher court pretty much crucifies him for attempting to re-institute slavery.]]

''[=NeXT=]'' is a 2006 novel, MichaelCrichton's final published novel. The plot intertwines several different stories. There are two main story arcs: that of a family trying to raise a transgenic HalfHumanHybrid in secret and that of a family who're being hunted down for "illegal theft" of their cancer-resistant genes. Sub-plots include an incredibly intelligent parrot, a pedophile working security for a genetics firm who is promptly framed for rape and is convinced by his lawyer to use genetics to excuse his behavior, a delusional hippie, a foul-mouthed orangutan, and the media hype surrounding it, a baby rapist with a small penis (who just happens to have the same name as Crichton's real-life critic) and a pair of bounty hunters hunting down said family.