Harry Benson is prone to violent, uncontrollable seizures and is under police guard after attacking two people.
Dr. Roger McPherson, head of ... read full description
reviews
Apr 21, 2009
Jim
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Years ago, I saw "The Andromeda Strain" & then saw this book, so I picked it up. It was pretty good & was an early explorer of man-computer interfacing. It also shows the fallacy of positive feedback as a form of control. There's a fair amount of gore & the hospital descriptions really impressed me. It might be a bit dated now, though.
If you have to hunt up a volume, try to find the first hardback. It had some good, if a bit gruesome, illustrations in it, as I recall
If you have to hunt up a volume, try to find the first hardback. It had some good, if a bit gruesome, illustrations in it, as I recall
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Dec 11, 2011
Suby
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The book is interesting reading. Crichton wrote it in early 70's when computers were monsters taking up a lot of space using magmatic tapes for storage of data. IBM was the pioneer in the field.
The story is about a man who has a delusion that machines like computers are going to take over the world and wants to destroy them, he has ADL syndrome and would have seizers when he will be violent towards people who are associated with machines and prostitutes who he thinks are actually machines. More...
The story is about a man who has a delusion that machines like computers are going to take over the world and wants to destroy them, he has ADL syndrome and would have seizers when he will be violent towards people who are associated with machines and prostitutes who he thinks are actually machines. More...
Sep 19, 2011
Hannah
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The Terminal Man retold through characters:
Harry Benson - Brain damaged man; thinks machines are taking over the world. Brain damage causes him to have violent seizures, and because of these seizures, he has gotten in trouble with the law. He gets electrodes implanted in his brain to fix these seizures, but it ends up going horribly wrong. His brain learns how to trick the computer into stimulating him, which makes him tip over, sending him into a seizure. During these stimulation instigate More...
Harry Benson - Brain damaged man; thinks machines are taking over the world. Brain damage causes him to have violent seizures, and because of these seizures, he has gotten in trouble with the law. He gets electrodes implanted in his brain to fix these seizures, but it ends up going horribly wrong. His brain learns how to trick the computer into stimulating him, which makes him tip over, sending him into a seizure. During these stimulation instigate More...
Apr 02, 2011
Jonathan
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I had high hopes for this book after reading Crichton's 'The Andromeda Strain.' I thought it would be another techno-thriller with the same kind of intriguing ideas and medical realism that would make the plot believeable and far-fetched at the same time. Unfortunately, this was not the case. Perhaps the book is dated in the sense that a man receiving brain implants and receiving shocks in order to stimulate the brain is no longer science-fiction and rather is a reality of today's medicine. Furt
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Feb 08, 2011
Benjamin
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The Terminal Man is the 10th Michael Crichton novel I've read and has actually been on my self for many years. I was hoping for a quick, technological based thriller and that's exactly what I got. It's one of Crichton's early works, published in 1972. As in all of his earlier novels, he includes state-of-the-art technology, this time revolving around what computers can do in assisting brain-damaged patients. The technology is spot-on...for 1971. Reading about dime-sized microchips can jar toda
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Apr 27, 2010
Jamie
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This has been sitting in my to-read pile for a while now. I finally finished it, and meh. Definitely not the best book Crichton ever wrote. And it feels a bit on the short side.The plot itself is pretty generic. The characters are like most other Crichton characters, flat. But who reads Crichton books for the characters? No, it's all about pseudoscience and suspense. Unfortunately, it fails in that area too. For the first half of the book, it felt like nothing was really going on. At some parts,
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Mar 31, 2011
Laura
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I cannot fault a book for when it was written, but it is a huge understatement to say that this book has not stood the test of time. It is a book about implanting a computer into someone's brain in order to treat a violent form of epilepsy. Computers were brand new technology in 1971 and Crichton's book focuses on the fears that people had about computers getting too powerful. Usually Crichton's books are chilling in their accounts of science going awry but, unfortunately in this case, his imagi
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Aug 10, 2009
Barbara
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Harry Benson is a computer analyst who works for the DOD and thinks machines are taking over the world. On top of his delusions, Harry was in a car accident which resulted in brain damage. Harry suffers from seizures which make him violent and he is wanted by the police. Most of the medical staff at University Hospital think he's a perfect candidate for surgery - implantation of a computer in his brain to stop the impulses triggering these seizures. All except his psychiatrist, Janet Ross, w
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Aug 18, 2011
Mark
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I was really disapointed with this book. After previously reading alot of Crichton's other work and the from impression given by the synopsis I expected this thriller to be alot more... well thrilling. I know much of Crichton's work takes a while to get going but this book never really started at all, even the ending was really flat. Even when Crichton's work is a bit slow off the ground it's usually because he's busy setting up the strory by explaining the science behind what is to come, but th
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Sep 22, 2009
Ralph
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"One day soon the Gillette company will announce the development of a razor that, thanks to a computer microchip, can actually travel ahead in time and shave beard hairs that don't even exist yet.” ~Dave Barry
Sadly the world lost Michael Crichton last year so I figured it was about time to read another one of his books. I usually like to pick up a Crichton or Grisham book when I am in the mood for a leisurely read. Crichton is known for books where technology is the key to the More...
Sadly the world lost Michael Crichton last year so I figured it was about time to read another one of his books. I usually like to pick up a Crichton or Grisham book when I am in the mood for a leisurely read. Crichton is known for books where technology is the key to the More...
Oct 19, 2011
Janny
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In a way I feel sorry for Harry Benson, the main character in Terminal Man. There was a time that he was living happily, working as a computer scientist. Not anymore though. A car accident put an end to it. Following the accident he was unconscious for some time. When he was discharged from the hospital he was a healthy man, fine for six months until he began to experience "blackouts". The blackouts became worse and Harry didn't remember anything that happened. Harry's diagnosis is ps
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Dec 03, 2009
Kristin
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I enjoy Michael Crichton's books, and since we will sadly no longer be getting any new material from him, I'm reading some if his earlier works. This one, I'm having a little trouble getting into, probably just because I am reading it right before bed, but also because I know it is set 30 years ago. That said, it doesn't seem too dated, yes medical technology has grown in leaps and bound since, but yet they still implant electrode grids on the brains of seizure patients, so it remains relvant to
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Aug 28, 2010
Kenny
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Scientists attempt to link a man with behavioral disorders to a computer that will mollify his violent tendencies, but fail.
This take on the Frankenstein story (a staple of modern sci-fi) is less successful than the predecessor "Andromeda Strain," but still displays Crichton's fearlessness: there are pages and pages of references in the appendix, most of which are real articles and books, but others were invented for the purpose of the story. A clever way of confusing the More...
This take on the Frankenstein story (a staple of modern sci-fi) is less successful than the predecessor "Andromeda Strain," but still displays Crichton's fearlessness: there are pages and pages of references in the appendix, most of which are real articles and books, but others were invented for the purpose of the story. A clever way of confusing the More...
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Jul 17, 2010
Avel
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This novel, also made into a film (in 1974), deals with the effects and morals of electronic implants being attached in the brain of a man who has a behavioral disorder. The implants are supposed to control any anti-social or violent behavior by sending an electrical impulse to the brain's "pleasure" center. But, the results are unexpected when the patient discovers that he can get the impulse on demand. There are villains in this novel not usually mentioned: the physicians who set up
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Apr 18, 2008
Raegan
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I can hardly believe that I was only in the 5th grade when I first read this, but there you have it. I've re-read this book at least 4 times. It is a compulsive page-turner with a fascinating premise.
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Apr 22, 2011
Andreas
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The table of contents reveals the traditional Chrichtonian day-by-day format, with the story laid out over four days. The plot is about a man who is implanted with a device that gives pleasure in order to control violent seizures. The man goes on a murderous rampage as he learns to control the pleasurable impulses.
It’s typical Crichton. Briefly entertaining. I find it a lot of fun to read about the technologies, even dated as they are. Crichton is heavily into using very contemporary g More...
It’s typical Crichton. Briefly entertaining. I find it a lot of fun to read about the technologies, even dated as they are. Crichton is heavily into using very contemporary g More...
Nov 30, 2009
Carissa
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listened to this in the car with jay. it's interesting that this book is older than us and is all about technology and despite some major details that date the book (a computer for a hospital that takes up the entire basement and uses punchcards and tapes) and some major fears about computers taking over the world (which, I suppose, in a way they have, but as far as I know, none of them have gone rogue and decided to secede and begin their own society) it wasn't tooooo bad. I'm not a huge fan
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Sep 26, 2011
Andrew704
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I love this book and i highly reccomend it to anyone looking for a good sci-fi read. I like Michael Crichton's books for a while now and this isn't as good as some others but it's still really neat. It's the story of Harry Benson a man who gets an operation called Stage 3 where they hook up wires to your nervous sytem and release shocks to make someone feel good. It's about Benson's post-op state of murder and paranoia. I don't want to spoil anything else because that would ruin the book.Be ca
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Jul 18, 2011
Read this in one day-a perfect way to spend what was a rainy Saturday afternoon. What the book lacks in depth, it makes up for in action, and there are definitely those times that a "fun" book are called for. The characters were a bit one dimensional, and the premise a tad simplistic, but it is also an older book. I enjoyed reading of the "cutting edge" technology presented in contrast to what is commonplace today.
The end of the novel was rather unsatisfying though. I More...
The end of the novel was rather unsatisfying though. I More...
Mar 27, 2011
Bryan
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A solid book by the late Michael Crichton about a man named Harry that goes into a rage due part to seizures, includes fantastic technology even for a book that was released in the seventies. There were parts that were boring as I found myself itching to get back to the action that was written so well. The descriptions of the attacks project very vivid images. I thought it was interesting how the main character is both the hero and the villain. I would like to showcase in my own writing descript
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Feb 09, 2009
Tracy
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I didn't like this book. It was stupid and I really didn't care what happened to any of the characters. I especially was annoyed with the psychiatrist who kept telling the murdering Benson guy that he would be ok. Her answer for everything was that he would be fine and everything would be ok. Doesn't sound very clinical to me. Not very believable when this guy just tried to kill her hours earlier. Crichton was trying to post a moral dilemma that if we use computers to heal us that we are be
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Jun 03, 2011
Tara
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I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy the brain and things like psychology. i also read this book by Michael Crichton along with the Andromeda strain. this book was actually interesting to me being a sophomore. i like to read about the brain and how things work. this is a good book to show how technology and man-kind meshed together doesnt always make a good combination. things can go wrong. after reading the book i also wanted to see the movie, though i watched it and it was a booooo
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Jan 30, 2010
Megan
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I listened to this book as an audio-book, so my perspective may be different. I liked the book. I thought it was easy to get into and Crichton brought some interesting perspectives to the idea of computers and machines taking over man (from a 1971 perspective). I actually found the older date of the book amusing at times (smoking in the hospital) as opposed to some reviews I've read where the reader seems to be frustrated and/or offended that they even took the time to read a book that was so
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Nov 01, 2011
Space
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A man with uncontrollable seizures is implanted with electrodes that will control the reactions with soothing comfort. But soon, the patient learns how to control the electrodes and administer this luxury, and begins doing it often. Things quickly get out of control, and he turns homicidal.
Another great idea by a great writer. I was fascinated by the technology and terminology Crichton used in this novel, seeing as how it was written in 1972. He was way ahead of his time with this More...
Another great idea by a great writer. I was fascinated by the technology and terminology Crichton used in this novel, seeing as how it was written in 1972. He was way ahead of his time with this More...
Jan 29, 2012
Giovanni
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Peccato non averlo letto nel 1972, quando usci, questo bel romanzo di fantascienza. Per l'epoca doveva essere avveniristico e visionario. Ma trattando del possibile collegamento del cervello umano a un processore di computer, i decenni trascorsi lo hanno reso tanto obsoleto da farlo risultare a tratti addirittura comico.
La vicenda si svolge infatti in un ospedale dove i medici hanno fisicamente bisogno di cercare un telefono fisso per ricevere chiamate, e non esiste neppure l'ombra di personal c More...
La vicenda si svolge infatti in un ospedale dove i medici hanno fisicamente bisogno di cercare un telefono fisso per ricevere chiamate, e non esiste neppure l'ombra di personal c More...
Nov 15, 2011
Jeff
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I think of Michael Crichton as a very-near-term speculative fiction author. He generally takes the cutting edge of some particular area, twists it a little or perhaps extends a bit and writes in the present tense. He also makes a great backbone of a story to stack this on.
All of that is specifically true with The Terminal Man, but with lots of interesting twists given that it was written just before I was born. The novel is 40 years old, but holds up amazingly well today. There are More...
All of that is specifically true with The Terminal Man, but with lots of interesting twists given that it was written just before I was born. The novel is 40 years old, but holds up amazingly well today. There are More...
May 15, 2011
Stef
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The Terminal Man isn't as polished as Michael Crichton's later works but it's still got that special spark of his, and the trademark geek talk/science fiction/techo thriller suspense formula is also in effect, which makes it a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Interestingly enough the plot doesn't come across as especially dated, despite having been written in the early '70s and taking place at the same time. It almost passes for a contemporary work for most of the book, until the very last More...
Interestingly enough the plot doesn't come across as especially dated, despite having been written in the early '70s and taking place at the same time. It almost passes for a contemporary work for most of the book, until the very last More...
Sep 28, 2011
Callum
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This book is dated, so while it could have been exciting 20 years ago, the effect was lost on me. The plot is generally slow moving, especially for a short book and the characters weren't well developed. What I did like was the moral aspect that Crichton explored, that is still relevant today and he came up with some interesting points. Although this wasn't enough to sustain my interest. It feels as if Crichton merely added the plot around this central issue, he researched implanting electrodes
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Dec 16, 2011
Kelley
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This book was set in 1971 (copyrighted 1972). The book was about cutting edge medical technology and computers, etc. I had a very difficult time relating, since computers are so prevalent in today's society. I can read a book with NO computers, but I don't know. This one just was choppy and frankly, I didn't like one single character in the entire book. It didn't flow well. And I guess in 1971, there was no ethical oversight. The surgical candidate was a lousy candidate by any reasonable person'
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Sep 19, 2011
Diego
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I've a mixed feeling about this one, but overall, I enjoyed reading it.
The first half is so-so, not much is happening, and the interesting topics are scarce, it's going a little slow.
The second half is more like a thriller, and it hooked me up better.
Unfortunately I didn't like any of the characters enough to care too much about what was happening to them.
Thankfully, the style of narration and the controversed moments were enough to make everything worth readi
The first half is so-so, not much is happening, and the interesting topics are scarce, it's going a little slow.
The second half is more like a thriller, and it hooked me up better.
Unfortunately I didn't like any of the characters enough to care too much about what was happening to them.
Thankfully, the style of narration and the controversed moments were enough to make everything worth readi
