Rising sun'', ''andromeda strain'', ''binary'' (3 books in 1) (hardcover)

The novel Rising Sun was originally published in 1992, fully 25 years ago as I write this review, and during that time the world has changed enormously. Michael Crichton writes of a U.S. preoccupied with the threat of an increasingly economically dominant Japan and the story basically revolves around that conflict. History has developed quite differently, it turns out, and the Japanese economic bubble that was taking place when this story was written has now collapsed. Today a more appropriate choice for concern would probably be China. Still, the story is fascinating and enjoyable. Having seen the Sean Connery / Wesley Snipes movie several times over the years, I was curious to see how similar the book was to the movie. This turns out to be one of those cases where they seem to be practically identical, not only in the major elements of the story but in the feel and personalities of the characters. The most notable difference does not become clear until late in the book and is a fascinating one - the retired Captain John Connor, played in the movie by Sean Connery, is black in the story, and the detective Peter J. Smith, the Special Services Liaison for the Los Angeles Police Department, played by Wesley Snipes, is white. I heard Connery's voice in my mind as I read the words of John Conner, and it was an unexpected surprise when a casual remark late in the story disclosed that Conner would not fit the Connery image at all! That didn't detract from the story but it was an interesting difference. The action moves quickly as Conner, senpai to the less experienced k?hai Smith, work together to determine the real killer and identify the motivations for the killing and subsequent coverup, and fight off the manipulations being attempted by the Japanese behind the scenes to influence their investigation and outcome. The twists and turns are well concealed and even knowing the story it was enjoyable and often unpredictable to see how it all developed in the book. I've enjoyed Michael Crichton's books over the years, and although it's likely that I read Rising Sun years ago when it was first released, I did not remember the story from the book. Returning to it now was enjoyable and a worthwhile read.