Son of Hel

In a note at the end of this book Crichton explains that the origins of this novel come from an argument and a dare made with a friend, a lecturer, who believed that several of the old classic texts he taught were utterly tedious and only continued to be read by academics because they were viewed as “crucial to Western civilization”. One of the stories mentioned was the epic poem Beowulf, which Crichton defended and decided to turn into a novel, which would still sell and be enjoyed.

Quick recap for those who don’t know the Beowulf story- Beowulf was a great Scandinavian warrior, who comes to the aid of a king who has built a great hall which is routinely attacked and threatened by Grendel, a troll-like creature which slays and eats many of the king’s men. Beowulf arrives and battles Grendel, in hand-to-hand combat, he tears off Grendel’s…