The Jurassic Park books by Michael Crichton are iconic works of fiction that have grown larger than life. Not only has the duology been adapted into movies that have created a billion-dollar franchise, but the books have also sold millions of copies.
While there are now more films in the franchise than books, reading the novels by Michael Crichton is a rite of passage for fans of this world. It is the questions from the books which set the spark for everything to come. The books are described as techno-thrillers for the way that Crichton includes science and genetic modifications as part of his action-packed, lightning-fast series of events.
Jurassic Park Books in Order of Publication
It is important to read the Jurassic Park books in order of publication. The first book sets up this world and poses the necessary initial questions surrounding the ethics of cloning dinosaur DNA.
Then the second book takes place next chronologically. It will spoil events from the first book if you do not read them in order of publication.
The Lost World takes place six years after the events of Jurassic Park. The plot of this second book greatly depends on what took place in Jurassic Park, which is why you should read them in order.
- Jurassic Park (1990)
- The Lost World (1995)
If you have already watched the movies in the franchise — whether that’s just one or all of them — it is still worth reading the books to understand the differences between the two mediums. There are quite a few changes in regards to tone and characters from the novels to the movies.
As well, the books are much more violent than the Steven Spielberg film adaptations. The duology has a darker and grittier tone than the movies. It is almost always the case that the books will have more details than the movies they inspire. This is the case for the Jurassic Park books too.
If you’d like to read more popular science fiction novels, check out our recommendations for the Best Science Fiction Books.