Michael Crichton loves to add more details complicating the plot. But my favorite Michael Crtichton book is also his first one, "The Andromeda Strain" that is a blend of sci-fi, alternate history and suspense. It should be much simpler to read than Jurassic Park though.
If you want a weird sci-fi twist with history, I recommend Harry Turtledove's "World War" series in which aliens from outer space interrupts World War II forcing the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the Allies (USA, Britain, Russia) to unite with each other to fight the alien invaders......Really surreal lol!