Congo by Michael Crichton

I saw all of the previews for the movie on television, watched the movie and thought that it would make good reading, though not strictly SF. I've read and enjoyed most of his stuff over the years, from The Andromeda Strain to Disclosure. Congo was actually written back 1980, and resurrected due to his recent commercial success. Better it had been left for dead.


This is a tired old story about the journey to a fabled lost city, with the lure of vast riches in diamonds to be had. Our travelers, corporate sharpshooter Karen Ross, wimpy primatologist Peter Elliot, lovable gorilla Amy, and the rest of their motley crew, encounter armed rebels in the Congo, earthquakes, hippopotami, volcanos, and teenage mutant ninja gorillas. These encounters might play pretty well on the silver screen, where the tension can be built skillfully with cutaways and background music, but they all fell flat in the novel.