It’s finally happening. The Jurassic Park universe is canonically expanding beyond the films. One of the most requested things from fans has continuously been an expansion of the fiction, whether it be via an animated series, comics, novels, or more. It now seems Universal has listened, and the first expansion will be coming May 2018 in the form of a Young Adult novel by Random House Books.
The novel, seemingly awaiting a more formal title, is currently titled ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Hardcover Young Adult Novel’. While the title isn’t much to go off of, Random House has also provided an exciting synopsis on what readers can expect:
Discover the beginnings of one of Jurassic World‘s most beloved characters–Claire Dearing–in this original action-packed young adult novel.
During the events of Jurassic World, Claire Dearing faced the savage fury of dinosaurs unleashed . . . but it wasn’t the first time. In this entirely new coming-of-age story, Claire lands an elite internship working for Simon Masrani and soon discovers his plans to build an all-new theme park–Jurassic World! Along the way, Claire establishes valuable relationships with both her peers and the prehistoric creatures she studies, but when the situation turns dangerous, she begins to see the dinosaurs in a different light. Fans of Jurassic World will delight in filling in the gaps of Claire’s past, all while gaining insights into the experiences that transformed her into the strong woman we know today.
May 08, 2018 | 304 Pages | Young Adult
The Young Adult fiction genre is typically considered to be written for ages 12-20’s, though the exact age range isn’t particularly defined, nor does it dictate who can enjoy the writings. This isn’t the first time the franchise had side stories via books, as the Jurassic Park Adventures series based on Eric Kirby’s adventures existed, but those targeted younger ages and were widely considered non-canon by fans.
The timeframe for this prequel novel is interesting, as it seems to begin before Jurassic World was event built, and will likely dive deep into the backstory of how Masrani Global handled InGen assets, and became the corporation we saw in the 2015 film. While it follows Claire’s perspective, the novel will quite possibly cross paths with individuals like Dr. Henry Wu, Vic Hoskisn, and other players, like the already confirmed Simon Masrani.
Will we see the cleanup of Nublar, the construction of Jurassic World, and inception of of ideas like the Indominus Rex in this novel? Time will tell – and hopefully it may even clarify longstanding question like the fate of Isla Nublar, why Hammond endorsed Jurassic World after his character motivation shift in The Lost World, and perhaps dig deep into pieces of the fiction the films have never touched upon.
But most off all, the novel will take us through the character evolution, motivation, and growth of Claire Dearing (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in the films), who Colin Trevorrow has previously stated is main character of the Jurassic World trilogy. It’s especially great to see a leading women take the spotlight and kick off the official Jurassic expanded universe, where as the easy and expected route would be putting someone like Owen Grady in the spotlight.
We’re excited, and hope this is only the first book of an exciting Jurassic World EU – the opportunities are endless, and we can’t wait to read the novel! If this is only the tip of the spear, perhaps in time a Dr. Henry Wu book series will come as well, detailing the timeline between Jurassic Park and Jurassic World, explaining how and why he comes off so cold in World, and dive deep into science of InGen not seen since Michael Crichton created the franchise.
Finally, dinosaur enthusiasts also have a publication to look forward to, which also seems to dive into the expanded fiction of Jurassic World – the ‘Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom Dinosaur Survival Guide’:
Relive the excitement of the blockbuster film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom–which opens to US audiences on June 22, 2018–with this must-have survival guide!
Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment’s Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom releases in theaters on June 22, 2018, bringing with it all the wonder, adventure, and thrills of one of the most popular and successful franchises in cinema history. This all-new motion picture event sees the return of favorite characters and dinosaurs, including Blue, the Velociraptor; Tyrannosaurus rex; and Mosasaurus–along with new breeds more awe-inspiring and terrifying than ever before!
This indispensable full-color survival guide features all the facts about the Jurassic World dinosaurs that you need to know to survive on the island–as well as the top-secret history of how it all began.
May 08, 2018 | 80 Pages | 6-9 years
Top secret history of how it all began? Say no more. Perhaps this visual guide will finally give a defined canonical explanation of the dinosaur variations seen throughout the franchise!
Let us know if you will be picking up the Claire prequel novel, and what stories you hope the expanded universe digs into! And as always, stay tuned for the latest news.
Source: Random House Books
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