Timeline

by Michael Crichton

In an Arizona desert, a man wanders in a daze, speaking words that make no sense. Within twenty-four hours he is dead, his body swiftly cremated by his only known associates. Halfway around the world, archaeologists make a shocking discovery at a medieval site. Suddenly they are swept off to the headquarters of a secretive multinational corporation that has developed an astounding technology. Now this group is about to get a chance not to study the past but to enter it. And with history opened up to the present, the dead awakened to the living, these men and women will soon find themselves fighting for their very survival -- six hundred years ago.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Time Travel, Thriller, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure

489 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 16, 1999

About the author

John Michael Crichton was an American author, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose prolific career left an indelible mark on popular culture and speculative fiction. Raised on Long Island, he displayed a precocious talent for writing, publishing an article in The New York Times at sixteen. Initially enrolling at Harvard as an English major, he switched to biological anthropology after discovering a preference for scientific study over literature. He graduated summa cum laude and received a fellowship to lecture in anthropology at Cambridge. Later attending Harvard Medical School, he earned his MD but chose not to practice, dedicating himself to writing instead. His medical background profoundly influenced his novels, providing authentic scientific and technical underpinnings that became a hallmark of his work. Crichton began writing under pseudonyms, producing suspenseful thrillers as John Lange, including Odds On, Scratch One, and Easy Go, and as Jeffrey Hudson with A Case of Need, earning him an Edgar Award. His first major success under his own name, The Andromeda Strain, established his signature blend of scientific authenticity, tension, and exploration of technological hazards, leading to its film adaptation. Over his career, he wrote 25 novels, including The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, Disclosure, The Lost World, Airframe, Timeline, Prey, State of Fear, and Next, several adapted into major films, with four additional works published posthumously. Crichton also made significant contributions to film and television. He wrote and directed Westworld, pioneering the use of 2D computer-generated imagery, and later directed Coma, The First Great Train Robbery, Looker, and Runaway. He created the influential medical drama ER, which he executive produced and developed with Steven Spielberg, achieving critical and commercial success. Many of his novels, most famously Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World, became cultural phenomena, combining imaginative adventure with grounded scientific speculation, often exploring humanity’s overreach in genetics, biotechnology, and complex systems. His literary style was notable for integrating meticulous scientific detail, suspense, and moral cautionary themes. His works frequently addressed the failure of complex systems—biological, technological, or organizational—demonstrating the unpredictable consequences of human hubris. Employing techniques such as first-person narratives, false documents, fictionalized scientific reports, and assembling expert teams to tackle crises, Crichton created immersive stories appealing to both popular and scholarly audiences. His exploration of genetics, paleontology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence revealed both fascination and caution about humanity’s technological ambitions, while his early non-fiction, such as Five Patients and Electronic Life, reflected his scientific insight and forward-thinking approach to computers and programming. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Crichton experienced social isolation in adolescence and later pursued meditation and consultations with psychics, cultivating a lifelong interest in human consciousness and alternative experiences. A workaholic, he approached writing with disciplined ritualistic methodology, often retreating entirely to complete a novel in six or seven weeks. He was married five times, fathered two children, and maintained a wide-ranging collection of 20th-century American art. Crichton engaged in political and scientific discourse, particularly regarding global warming, where he was an outspoken skeptic and testified before the U.S. Senate. He contributed significantly to the discussion of intellectual property, technology, and environmental policy, coining concepts such as the Gell-Mann amnesia effect. Throughout his life, he received numerous awards, including Edgar Awards, a Peabody Award for ER, an Aca

Reviews

[Afifah]

Akhirnya, ketemu deh, keyword dari novel-novel Michael Crichton: perkembangan IPTEK terbaru, ilmuwan cerdas tapi kejam, dan bisnis yang rakus dan tak berperikemanusiaan.
Sampai detik ini, saya masih setia dan menikmati novel-novel beliau. Mungkin karena saya juga menggemari sains dan senang mengikuti perkembangan sains modern. Membaca novel-novel Michael Crichton memudahkan saya memahami sebuah proses sains yang mungkin akan lebih sulit dipahami jika dibaca dari textbook.

Yang membuat saya lebih kagum lagi, riset novel ini dahsyat! Ada sekitar 8 halaman, dan semua buku-buku babon yang tentunya memusingkan. Referensi ini tak hanya soal fisika kuantum, tetapi juga sejarah. Tanpa referensi yang kuat, novel-novel Michael Crichton mungkin hampir mirip dengan fiksi fantasi :-D

Kisah di Timeline ini sendiri asli bikin nyengir. Bob Donginger, seorang ilmuwan sekaligus pemilik ITC, sebuah perusahaan pengembangan IPTEK raksasa, mencoba mengembangkan teori multisemesta dengan membuat sebuah mesin waktu yang memanfaatkan busa kuantum (quantum foam). Walhasil, dia berhasil mengutus anak-anak buahnya untuk menyelinap ke masa silam. Salah satu lokasi yang dijelajahi adalah La Roque dan Castilgard di Lembah Dordogne, Prancis. Doninger tertarik dengan konsep sebuah kota di Perancis pada masa Abad Kegelapan (sebelum renaisans) itu. Doninger ingin membuktikan apakah betul di lokasi itu ada sisa-sisa kota yang terkubur. Dengan tetap merahasiakan penemuan luar biasa itu, Doninger mendanai Profesor Edward Jonhtson dan anak-anak buahnya untuk mencoba melakukan penggalian di lokasi tersebut. Para mahasiswa Profesor Johnson antara lain Kate, Crish, Andre dan David.

Suatu hari, sang profesor yang merasakan sebuah kejanggalan, pergi ke New Mexico untuk bertemu Doninger. Namun setelah itu, sang profesor menghilang. Para mahasiswa tak berhasil menghubungi profesornya. Dan sebuah keanehan terjadi di lokasi penggalian. Salah satunya, ditemukannya lensa kacamata Profesor Johntson di objek yang tengah digali dan belum pernah dijamah manusia selama ratusan tahun. Para mahasiswa pasca sarjana itu menemukan sebuah perkamen yang berusia 600 tahun, dan di dalam perkamen itu ada tulisan yang jelas-jelas tulisan Profesor mereka: HELP ME.

Kebingungan para mahasiswa terjawab kemudian. Ternyata Profesor Johntson nekad memasuki mesin waktu milik ITC dan masuk ke Perancis 600 tahun silam. Namun, dia terjebak pada peperangan yang sengit antara Rahib Pembelot Arnaut de Cervole dan Sir Oliver. Doninger meminta para mahasiswa sejarah yang sangat paham dengan sejarah abad pertengahan itu untuk menyelamatkan profesor kesayangan mereka.
Maka, dimulailah petualangan yang mendebarkan. Kate, Andre dan Crish masuk ke sebuah kondisi peperangan yang buas, liar dan penuh dengan intrik. David sendiri, karena merasa bukan sejarawan (dia ilmuwan fisika kuantum yang diperbantukan di tim Profesor Johntson), menyadari betul bahaya yang mengintai, dan menolak ikut serta. Tetapi dia ikut mengawasi para kru ITC yang mengontrol proses transmisi antarsemesta itu. Nantinya, David memegang peranan penting melakukan penyelamatan besar saat terjadi error di sistem yang dirancang ITC.

Ketiga mahasiswa itu mengalami sebuah pengalaman yang mendebarkan. Bukan hanya sengitnya peperangan, ganasnya para ksatria yang berkuasa di 'abad kegelapan' Eropa, tetapi juga cinta dari seorang gadis jelita bernama Lady Claire. Uniknya, Lady Claire adalah orang yang terlibat dalam pembunuhan suaminya sendiri.

Sebagai penggemar fiksi yang sarat konflik, saya menikmati kisah ini. Tetapi, kebrutalan para ksatria abad pertengahan itu dan bagaimana serangan bertubi-tubi yang menimpa para mahasiswa itu membuat saya terengah-engah. Romantisme yang indah antara Lady Claire dengan Andre Marek, suasana kota yang klasik, juga digambarkan sekilas saja.