Genre Character of the Week: Alan Grant

This morning I finished the 2004 novel State of Fear by Michael Crichton, leaving me only two more of his books to go before I've read them all. Like pretty much everyone my age, I first became aware of the author back in 1993 when Jurassic Park came out, which features our genre character of the week, Palaeontologist Alan Grant.

Like the leads from most other Crichton books, Dr. Grant is respected in his field, passionately dedicated to his work and a bit of a jerk. What I like best about the character is the fact that while running from terrify hoards of dinosaurs (I was sixteen when the movie came out, but come on - that stuff is pretty amazing), he learns a little about himself and actually helps out a couple of kids who need him both for his expertise and as emotional support.

Sure the story was pretty much a 1950's B-Movie plot dressed up with state-of-the-art Special Effects, but darn it if it doesn't hook me every time I watch or read it (I've read the book twice and seen the movie six or seven times).

Both the book and the film are great summer entertainment, and if you haven't checked them out for a while, it is definitely worth picking them up again.