Drug of Choice

By: Michael Crichton, John Lange

Narrated by: Christopher Lane

Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

On a secret island in the Caribbean, bioengineers have devised a vacation resort like no other, promising the ultimate escape. But when Dr. Roger Clark investigates, he discovers the dark secret of Eden Island and of Advance Biosystems, the shadowy corporation underwriting it...

©1970 Constant c Productions, Inc.; Copyright renewed 2005 by CrichtonSun LLC. “John Lange” and “Drug of Choice” are trademarks of CrichtonSun LLC, used under license. (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Fantastic!

Amazing!
For such a short story it moves along very well.
A fantastic thriller from a great writer.
Preformed by a great narrator.
thank you

Crichton writes another page turner

Michel Crichton is a master of suspense sci-fi, and this short but visceral questioning of values and power is phenomenal. First published in 1970, you can see in it a foreshadowing of stories such as Total Recall and Avitar and the writing that would later make Jurassic Park such a success. The primary character confronts ethical choices and consequences that may seem more visceral in today's world with its increased ecological and consumption concerns, financial imbalances, and many decisions for escapism than at the time of the writing. If you enjoyed his other books, you will probably like this one.

Not my favorite oh his early works

Had to work to stay with it. Twists and turns but lacked his usual excitement.

Enjoyable early Crichton

This was definitely Michael Crichton. The scientific premises led to an interesting story. Character development was limited and some events weren't particularly likely, but overall the story was engaging and I finished the book in less than a day. This book makes me more likely to continue reading more of Crichton's early works.

All of his favorite themes were already in place

Would you consider the audio edition of Drug of Choice to be better than the print version?

Well, it is if you want to read it on the go. But all of Crichton's books, including these John Lange ones, are page-turners in print. So I wouldn't say better. But the narration is good.

Would you recommend Drug of Choice to your friends? Why or why not?

I would certainly recommend it to Crichton fans. While it's definitely not the best of his John Lange novels, it's quite remarkable how steadfastly his later obsessions were already in place in 1969. You've got the rise of scientific corporations at the expense of science itself and ethics, the transfer of major research from Academic institutions to the private sector, scientists playing God for the sake of corporate greed, and even the use of resort/theme parks as the beneficiary of this science out of control. It's a fun little conspiracy thriller in its own right (albeit with an unsatisfying ending), but of most interest as a sort of blueprint for ideas the author would revisit again and again--especially in Jurassic Park.

What does Christopher Lane bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Lane is a good narrator and successfully creates different voices for different characters. He made some characters, like the artist who runs an all-night boat party, more memorable than they would have been on the page alone.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Sure. And it's short enough that you actually could.

It’s not a favorite

This book has a plausible story of use of a new drug, but the characters are not so real. It’s not as good as some of his other great stories. I had a hard time finishing it.

Anticipation

This was so good. It was a mystery I could not figure out. Satisfying ending.

Not as good as the other Lange novels.

Not as good as the other Lange novels. I would choose one of the others over this book, probably the least complete story of the Lange series.

Early, Thrilling Medical Adventure

A thrilling early effort from the late, great Michael Crichton. Here you can see the beginnings of the later medical and techno thrillers that he became known for. A young doctor stumbles upon (chosen for), a drug with unusual effects. The company that created it believes they thought of all the angles, but it doesn't turn out the way they expected. I would've loved to see a follow up to this novel, there is more that can be told. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. Christopher Jane's narration perfectly matches the fast moving tale. An enjoyable thriller with frightening prospects.

Not one of his best ...

There was a long crescendo leading to a very short and disappointing ending ... not as impressed with Crichton's plot. Left a lot of loose ends ...