We first meet Ian Malcolm – the character Jeff Goldblum would make famous – on page 33, where he is quoted as the bridge between chapters. Here we find an entire chapter in his name.

Best Writing, Quotes

“Chaos theory originally grew out of attempts to make computer models of weather in the 1960s.”

Page 85 – Ian explains his field of mathematics to Gennaro from Crichton’s Jurassic Park

In this one chapter, Ian Malcolm introduces two topics common in modern society: Chaos Theory and The Butterfly Effect. This is a disaster movie flashing multiple points of failure in its opening chapters. Biosyn and Dodgson are bribing an IT employee. The animals are dangerous. Even if they weren’t, Malcolm’s mathematics serve as another oracle to tell the reader “Danger Ahead!”

Page by Page Highlights, Quotes

“He struck Grant as being more amused by the outing than anything else.” – Page 82, Grant describes Malcolm/Goldblum’s emotional state – he’s already been described as clad in black, as Goldblum was on screen

“Professional sports, perhaps. Grown men swatting little balls, while the rest of the world pays money to applaud.” – Page 83 Malcolm gives the origin story of his all black out fits and manages to lash out at ‘sportsball‘ as being almost as bad as fashion

“Malcolm shrugged, indifferent to Hammond’s outburst.” Page 84 – He’s unphased by the wealthy owner’s emotions

“Chaos theory originally grew out of attempts to make computer models of weather in the 1960s.” Page 85 – Ian explains his field of mathematics to Gennaro

“The shorthand is the ‘butterfly effect.’ A butterfly flaps its wings in Peking, and weather in New York is different.” Ian Malcolm Page 86 – across these two quotes, has likely been the first character to bring up these terms in what would become mass media