Binary

I like Crichton, and was wondering if he took on the noir genre like he did his thrillers. In a word, no. This was much like his more famous books, more concerned with the scenario he's creating than the characters and style. Which worked well for his other books, but the noir/crime genre really needs a hard boiled infusion of style, of dialogue, perhaps a splash of sex and brutality. Either the Mickey Spillane route or the Elmore Leonard route, basically. This is neither, and not very good.
The scenario itself might have been a seed for the movie The Rock.
I recommend the Hard Case Five Decembers instead.

A rich political radical John Wright is plotting a terrorist event and federal agent John Graves is charged with trying to find out what it is and to put a top to it. This book was a pretty by the numbers thriller and nothing more in my opinion. The characters are not very well developed but as the book reaches it's conclusion it does get pretty exciting. John Lange is a pseudonym for Michael Crichton and it's clear that this was one of his early books.

“BINARY: any system composed of two interacting elements.”

“He said that binary would go off today. In San Diego.”
“And what is binary?”
“I don’t know.”

Seven men rob a train, stealing “…one half-ton of the most potent nerve gas in the world.” Set off, it could kill nearly a million people in the San Diego area. And the attendees of the Republican National Convention, including Richard Nixon. Hmm, maybe that would be worth letting in go off…

“TIME FROM INTRODUCTION OF BINARY GAS TO DEATH: 1.7 MINUTES.”

John Graves, of the U.S. State Department Intelligence, is investigating John Wright, a political ‘radical’ and activist with the organization he formed: Americans for a Better Nation. Wright also has been show more seen with “known underworld figures”. Could they have something to do with the robbery?

Good, fast paced read, though the science and tech information was way over my head. (The epilogue is a good example of that kind of writing.) I'm definitely inclined to read another 'John Lange' novel! show less

John Lange was one of the early pen names of Michael Crichton, best known for The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park. While enrolled at Harvard Medical School, Crichton began publishing a number of novels. This is one of a number of Crichton's early novels that have recently been re-released by Hard Case Crime. The others are Scratch One, Zero Cool, Easy Go, The Venom Business, Odds On, Grave Descend, and Dealing. I have read a number of these already and, while not perfect, they are fun, light, fast reading that I have found worthwhile. I haven't read any of Crichton's more famous works, but I will note that these early novels compare favorably to many of the bookstand pulp/adventure/crime novels that could be found in the late sixties show more and early seventies and these books should be read in that context.

The title of Binary refers to the fact that the evil genius in the book (Wright) has stolen two one-ton tanks of chemicals that, when combined, produce a devastating nerve gas. The plot involves Wright arranging the theft of the nerve gas from the US Army and his counterpart in the US Intelligence field (Graves) tracking him down to San Diego, where the Republican Convention is underway and the President is about to speak. The book is filled with plotting and counter-manuevers between these two geniuses, Wright and Graves, and how Graves uncovers the plot and deals with the fact that within an hour a million people including the President could perish from nerve gas. It is fast-reading and compelling plot-wise, but it is all too obviously an early work by Crichton and the characters are a bit on the cardboard side. Often, it is difficult to really distinguish one character from another. The story in places feels stiff. All in all, however, if one keeps in mind, that it is an early work by Crichton, it is not bad reading. show less

A fast-paced thriller that barrels right on from the start without any extra stuff. I don't usually like novels that could easily be made into movies, I prefer more depth and development, but Crichton keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting to see what will happen next, how the detective will solve the puzzle.

Oud verhaal, volledig gedateerd (computers in 1972), wel grappig om te lezen hoeveel veranderd is op zo'n korte tijd. Wat dun en rechtlijnig. Niet slecht, maar niet wow.

This is just pure pulp writing in the typical Michael Crichton style. Not pretty but fun.

It's about a theft of military material, how it relates to an assassination and the attempt made to stop it. It's not terribly original now but probably because Crichton and his imitators have done it better since it's original publication in '72