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The first Michael Crichton book I ever read was Rising Sun, not Jurassic Park, the novel which brought him fame and fortune. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this maiden voyage into a new literary world. Though I never considered his works to be hallmarks of literary fortitude, I always found myself entertained. All of that changed with Eaters of the Dead, one of Crichton's earlier novels and one of his weakest efforts. This book, recently renamed The Thirteenth Warrior in light of the moderate success enjoyed by the film of the same name, is far from compelling and represents a disappointing effort for an author whose works I have always loved.

Eaters of the Dead chronicles the journeys of Ibn Fadlan, a Muslim from Baghdad who travels north with a band of Vikings in 922 A.D. Fadlan, on a peaceful mission, runs into the Northmen during his voyage, and he is unwittingly drafted to join their party. It seems there is a terrible danger afflicting their homeland, and a wise woman has decreed that twelve brave Northmen must return to combat it. In addition to these twelve, however, a thirteenth member, a foreigner, must travel there, and Ibn Fadlan finds himself the lucky winner. They must cross raging seas and harsh lands to battle "monsters of the mist," creatures of unknown origin terrorizing the Vikings' people.

Eaters of the Dead tells an interesting tale, but one whose strongest passages are merely glossed over. Crichton delivers this story, based on the real-life journey of Ibn Fadlan, in a choppy, direct retelling, which, though apparently quite faithful to original manuscripts, is a laborious read. The same action sequences which make Antonio Banderas's film The Thirteenth Warrior tolerable are merely footnotes in Crichton's novel. Crichton's has been praised in some circles for producing a Ibn Fadlan translation that appeals to the masses, and that may certainly be the case (though I have not attempted to devour any of the other offerings.) Nonetheless, his narrative lacks a compelling central theme, and Crichton ends up regurgitating (again and again) asides about the amoral lifestyle of the Northmen. This is painful to say about a movie that aspires to mediocrity, but, if given the choice, leave this book on the shelf and head to the nearest video store.

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(Reviewed 5/8/00.)