A group of American scientists are rushed to a huge vessel that has been discovered resting on the ocean floor in the middle of the South Pacific. What they find defies their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently, undamaged by its fall from the sky. And, most startling, it appears to be at least A group of American scientists are rushed to a huge vessel that has been discovered resting on the ocean floor in the middle of the South Pacific. What they find defies their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation.

It is a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently, undamaged by its fall from the sky. And, most startling, it appears to be at least three hundred years old. 'The suspense is real.' THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW 'A page-turner.Chichton's writing is cinematic, with powerful visual images and nonstop action.

This book should come with hot buttered popcorn.' Back in 1993, after reading Jurassic Park (see review of that book ), I was like in Crichton-mode actived!;) So, my next novel had to be by Michael Crichton! I went to the bookstore and this one was the first book that I checked and after reading the premise, I found it promising.;) So, I bought it and started to read it. Since the beginning I was in shock amalgamated with happiness since the style and mood of the novel was astonishing good.

(Of course, by then I hadn't read yet Th Back in 1993, after reading Jurassic Park (see review of that book ), I was like in Crichton-mode actived!;) So, my next novel had to be by Michael Crichton! I went to the bookstore and this one was the first book that I checked and after reading the premise, I found it promising.;) So, I bought it and started to read it. Since the beginning I was in shock amalgamated with happiness since the style and mood of the novel was astonishing good. First, an overlong apologist's review of. Then, a very short review of Sphere. (Life update: I am procrastinating). In my opinion, you can only truly rate a Michael Crichton book by a) the depth and originality of the concept and b) the lucidity of the monologue/essay that will always occur, usually as a rant from some broken visionary genius or another, approx.

Michael Crichton - Sphere. When the car pulled up in front of his house, Norman had been surprised to see it was a Navy pool sedan, with a uniformed Navy driver. 'They never sent a Navy car the other times,' Ellen said, following him down the stairs to the front door. 'Is this a military crash?' 'I don't know,' he said.

4/5 of the way through the book. Rating Michael Crichton on his prose, either its subtlety or execution, is sort of po First, an overlong apologist's review of. Then, a very short review of Sphere. (Life update: I am procrastinating). In my opinion, you can only truly rate a Michael Crichton book by a) the depth and originality of the concept and b) the lucidity of the monologue/essay that will always occur, usually as a rant from some broken visionary genius or another, approx. 4/5 of the way through the book.

Rating Michael Crichton on his prose, either its subtlety or execution, is sort of pointless. There's no doubt that this man is a shitty prose writer, short on synonyms and prone to spend most of his energy on frenetic descriptions of action. He's basically writing scripts. Which is why the man gets the Dan Brown money, but no respect from the smarties. So in the man's defense: Michael Crichton is not really a writer, he's an idea man, and that's what attracted me to him in the first place, way back at age eleven. He's the first person I know of since maybe Jules Verne or H.G. Wells to do high quality sci-fi thought experiments, almost always focused on some aspect of humanity's inexorable 'progress.'

In his better books, these are made far more interesting by the aforementioned monologue/essay. This is a hat trick I've never seen another writer (skilled or not) employ so effectively; these speeches almost always provide a (genuinely!) surprising counterpoint, and reframes the 'innovations' Crichton describes in terms of different core needs. So suddenly the Timeline is not about BS quantum physics, it is about the rising social need for authenticity.

Lost World is not about cashing in on the notion of cloning again; its about successful species as extinction-level events. These speeches are usually so tightly written in comparison to the rest of the text that I've started to think that Michael Crichton starts with them, and build a plot out/afterwards. Sphere is, in my opinion, Michael Crichton's most interesting book on two levels.

First, the plot: a truly great parable on the endgame of technology, and the long-sought-after dream of Alladin's magic lamp. I don't want to go too deep, but I'll say that it is, in my humble hypothesis, the uncredited inspiration for the excellent show Lost. While the plot is a highlight, I personally keep this book high on my list of favorites, after all these years, because of the Essay, which breaks with/plays off Crichton's typical form: instead of a broken monologue with a human genius, it takes the form of an italicized, nearly stream of consciousness Socratic dialogue with. Again, the writing is problematic (Crichton manages to use the word 'foam' 23 times or so in two paragraphs) but, even after all these years, the content still stirs me: the subject is consciousness and the power and meaning of the question mark. Again I'll let him do the rest.

You can (and should) disagree with his analysis, you can shrug aside his monosyllables, but if something in his notion of What Makes Humanity? Doesn't stir you, then you are missing out. You have finally and irrevocably left the seventh grade, that painful age of wondering, in favor of a well-fortified adulthood. And as nice as that sounds, you probably left something essential behind. I may have gotten a little presumptive towards the end there.

I'm sure some very smart people have very good reasons for scoffing at Michael Crichton. Allright, let me adjust my position: if you read Sphere, and have thoughts, positive or negative, about the Essay, please write me. If you know of other works, academic or flippant or otherwise, on the same topic, forward 'em. It happens to be one of my favorite things to discuss. Four stars: One demit for bad writing, the fact that I haven't read the book in seven years, the undercooked movie, and my general cowardice (I would seem SO much smarter if I reserved five stars for Gravity's Rainbow.).

I had some idea what to expect when I picked up the late Michael Crichton's sci-fi thriller Sphere because I'd seen years ago -- a movie I love by the way despite a lot of lambasting from the critics and grumbling from the book's fans. Sure it isn't perfect (with its moments of cheese and flubs); nevertheless, the exciting, chilling core of Crichton's story is evident and for me the film still stands as a great example of escapist cinema, that mesmerizing addictive blend of science fic I had some idea what to expect when I picked up the late Michael Crichton's sci-fi thriller Sphere because I'd seen years ago -- a movie I love by the way despite a lot of lambasting from the critics and grumbling from the book's fans.

Sure it isn't perfect (with its moments of cheese and flubs); nevertheless, the exciting, chilling core of Crichton's story is evident and for me the film still stands as a great example of escapist cinema, that mesmerizing addictive blend of science fiction and horror. But I'm probably more forgiving than most.

One of my favorite movie genres is space horror. There's something about the claustrophobic squeeze of the 'group in peril' scenario as it hurtles through the freezing, oxygenless void of space where no one can hear you scream. Or the imperiled stranded on an uninhabited, hostile planet where the very environment wants to kill you --,,,,, and just to name a few.

Sphere is not set in space, but it might as well be. It takes the reader deep into the darkest part of the ocean where unfathomable pressure forces threaten to crush and demolish, where the only breathable oxygen is what you bring with you, where the landscape is as alien and inhospitable as anything found in outer space. A thriller should thrill. It should keep you turning the pages long into the night, white-knuckled and on the edge of your seat. Horror should unsettle and disturb you, compelling you to look over your shoulder and under the bed for that unnamed threat. Science fiction should challenge your concept of reality, bending your mind to what's possible, to what could actually be.

In Sphere Crichton is firing on all cylinders as a storyteller, accomplishing all three of these seemingly without any effort at all. It's such a treat to see an author in this much control of his narrative. I read this compulsively, voraciously, rarely coming up for air. I can only imagine the inexorable tension I would have experienced had I not seen the movie and therefore knew most of what to expect. Even so, the whole experience remained thrilling and deliciously unnerving.

The pacing is pitch perfect, each devastating reveal coming at the exact right moment. Who or what 'Jerry' is becomes a maddening puzzle, his voice and demeanor as terrifying and memorable as.

Bullet points seem appropriate when it comes to Sphere, the 1987 science fiction thriller by Michael Crichton. One of the qualities about Crichton's work that I love is the unabashed clarity of his concepts and the dependable navigation of his novels. Crichton doesn't seem like he's lost or should stop to ask for directions. Other writers--those with loftier creative ambitions, perhaps--tend to circle around ideas (like mankind's first contact with extraterrestrials) as if they've never been in Bullet points seem appropriate when it comes to Sphere, the 1987 science fiction thriller by Michael Crichton.

One of the qualities about Crichton's work that I love is the unabashed clarity of his concepts and the dependable navigation of his novels. Crichton doesn't seem like he's lost or should stop to ask for directions. Other writers--those with loftier creative ambitions, perhaps--tend to circle around ideas (like mankind's first contact with extraterrestrials) as if they've never been in this neighborhood before. Crichton doesn't take the scenic route. He accelerates directly to FINISH, usually provoking quite a literary rush. * Norman Johnson, a 53-year-old psychologist, is raced across the Pacific Ocean in a Navy helicopter.

Skipped from Honolulu to Guam to Pago Pago to wherever he is, Norman is on the FAA's list of crash-site teams and has responded to three airline disasters in the last decade. The Navy has told him that there's been an airplane crash, but information en route has been murky. Out of the blue appear more than a dozen ships: eight Navy destroyers, two Remote Vehicle Support ships, a Mission Support and Supply ship and a couple of Oceanic Survey and Research Vessels, including the John Hawes, which Norman is dropped off on. * Norman is taken to the project commander, Captain Harold Barnes. Informed that there were no survivors, Norman is at a loss as to why he was summoned, his specialty being the treatment of psychological trauma suffered by airline crash survivors.

Barnes notifies Norman that there is no aircraft. It's a spacecraft. And estimations are that the crash occurred three hundred years ago. Norman is here because of a report the National Security Council paid him to write for the Carter administration, recommending contingency plans in the event of extraterrestrial contact. Norman's paper, which he considered a joke at the time, was titled 'Recommendations for the Human Contact Team to Interact with Unknown Life Forms (ULF).' Norman is taken to meet his recommendations: * Ted Fielding is a 40-year-old astrophysicist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Pompous but cheerful, he's a science communicator who's appeared on television and is a major advocate of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.

He can't wait to get down to the spacecraft, which is settled 'only' a thousand feet beneath the surface. Ted compensates for his perceived lack of accomplishment in his field by hoping this event will be his legacy. * Beth Halpern is a 36-year-old zoologist/ biochemist at the University of Chicago. She's a serious weightlifter and runner. Her recent work has been studying cephalopods. Her thesis is that if not for their three year life span, octopi might be the dominant intelligence on earth.

Beth reveals to Norman that Barnes is ex-Navy and as a member of the Defense Science Board, advises the Joint Chiefs of Staff on weapons acquisitions. * Harry Adams is a 30-year-old mathematician at Princeton, the youngest but most vital member of the team. His job is to communicate with the ULF. A prodigy in the field of probability, he has a chip on his shoulder, but is almost always right.

He theorizes that the spacecraft is [not from another planet ]. And after the team is briefed by Barnes, Harry confronts the commander for lying to them about divers still searching for the spacecraft door; Harry deduces they've already found it. * Barnes briefs the team that a Navy vessel laying a fiber-optics cable from Honolulu to Sydney hit a snag midway between American Samoa and Fiji. The cable was severed by an obstruction.

Sophisticated side-scanning sonar found the obstruction to be a 280 foot tall fin attached to a cylindrical object half a mile long. A segment of the fin cut by a remote vehicle and analyzed strongly suggests that the object could not have originated on this planet. After two weeks of study, geologists confirmed that the coral around the spacecraft is at least three hundred years old, maybe older.

If the crew is still alive, the ULF team is to make contact with it. * In the morning, Norman is piloted down to the ocean floor with Ted, who's already working out what they should say to the ULF.

They dock at a Navy habitat consisting of five interconnected cylinders where divers have been at work cutting a tunnel to the door. Beth and Harry have been joined by Captain Barnes and the Navy staff who support the contact team: Tina Chan handles electronics. Jane Edmunds is the unit archivist. Alice Fletcher is a chief petty officer and support chief. Rose Levy is the cook.

Their genders are not accidental. Barnes explains that Navy studies have shown women to be superior to men for submerged operations.

* In a key passage of the novel, the contact team stops before entering the spacecraft to debate each other on the topic of ceremony. Edmunds: 'Tape is running.' Ted: 'I'd like to say a few words.' Harry: 'Jesus, Ted. Can't you ever let up?' Ted: 'I think it's appropriate.'

Harry: 'Go ahead, make your speech.' This is Ted Fielding, here at the door of the unknown spacecraft which has been discovered--' Barnes: 'Wait a minute, Ted. 'Here at the door of the unknown spacecraft' sounds like 'here at the tomb of the unknown solider.' ' Ted: 'You don't like it?'

Barnes: 'Well, I think it has the wrong associations.' Ted: 'I thought you would like it.' Beth: 'Cant we just get on with it, please?' Ted: 'Never mind.' Harry: 'What, are you going to pout now?' Ted: 'Never mind.

We'll do without any commentary on this historic moment.' Harry: 'Okay, fine. Let's get it open.'

Ted: 'I think everybody knows how I feel. I feel that we should have some brief remarks for posterity.'

Harry: 'Well, make your goddamn remarks!' Ted: 'Listen, you son of a bitch. I've had about enough of your superior, know-it-all attitude--' Barnes: 'Stop tape please.' Edmunds: 'Tape is stopped, sir.' Barnes: 'Let's everyone settle down.'

Harry: 'I consider all this ceremony utterly irrelevant.' Ted: 'Well, it's not irrelevant. It's appropriate.' Barnes: 'All right, I'll do it. Roll the tape.' Edmunds: 'Tape is rolling.' Barnes: 'This is Captain Barnes.

We are now about to open the hatch cover. Present with me on this historic occasion are Ted Fielding, Norman Johnson, Beth Halpern, and Harry Adams.' Harry: 'Why am I last?' * This passage is a snapshot of the novel. The dialogue: not that great.

I find it contrived that the team would have a discussion like this while fitted with deep sea diving gear one thousand feet below the surface on the threshold of an alien spacecraft. They should be so terrified that snappy banter is beyond them. However, based on the egos involved, there is a certain honesty to this exchange.

In terms of character, Sphere may be the best Michael Crichton has done. The behavior of the team feels consistent with their fields and backgrounds. I thought it was cool to watch scientists spitball their Neil Armstrong speech. That's enough bullet points.

Now for what I loved (+) and didn't love (-). + Crichton takes care assembling a contemporary team of civilian and military professionals to make contact with an alien. How would that contingency plan come together? Who would you choose to talk to an ULF? I found this a damn interesting. I'd want a computer hacker to watch the alien and detect whether it was violating any security protocols, i.e.

Acting shady. Maybe also a musician or comedian to help lighten the mood. It occurs to me I'm now trying to rewrite Crichton but this is actually a good thing.

I was invested in the outcome of his story. + Lots of intrigue at the front. Crichton introduces an anomaly and compelled me keep reading until his whatsit was explained.

What is the alien spacecraft? Who's inside it? Where did it come from? What does it want? All in all, the resolution of these questions were not what I expected, but satisfying.

His brainstorm to position the spacecraft on the ocean floor was a very good one. If the situation wasn't terrifying enough, putting the craft in the deep brings another level of unease and dread, as well as opportunity to write about physiology, oceanography and marine biology. + 'Jerry,' the ULF, [communicates with the contact team through decoded type on a computer screen ] and is both fascinating and intimidating.

- One of my least favorite characteristics in any book or movie are characters who demonstrate poor job performance. I know that's true to life; I just don't want to read about it. Several of the team members, namely Ted, propose arguments steeped in ignorance that I felt would be, at best, unprofessional for any garden variety scientist, out of character at worst. Ted's knee jerk reaction to anything unexplained is that it has to be alien.

He manufactures a conclusion waiting for data. I don't know jack shit about science but even I caught on that this was a fallacy of logic and inherently dangerous to the team. - Crichton's dialogue is written with that amateur writer's template where characters incessantly refer to each other by name. If I had to take a shot of tequila every time someone said, 'Norman' I'd have pickled my liver by page 100. Norman even comments at one point that Beth referring to him by his name is getting on his nerves and indicative of the deterioration of her mind, so maybe this was deliberate on Crichton's part.

It drove me batty. - The Navy personnel aren't well developed at all.

Their [deaths ] carry zero currency. +/- I guess that I should feel disappointed by a story that [promises alien contact and doesn't have an alien in it, kind of, but not really ] but I think that Crichton navigates the first contact obstacle course extremely well. In my opinion, most stories involving extraterrestrials take a belly flop into ridiculousness once an alien starts walking around and talking. There are a couple of notable examples. I kind of like Crichton's take on this and how he didn't try to explain everything.

* Sphere bends human psychology and alien possibility together in ways that thrilled me. It is reminiscent of Jurassic Park, but this came first, so perhaps Crichton was using himself as an influence. The bottom line for me is that it's a fantastic yarn. Sphere was adapted into a big movie in 1998 starring Dustin Hoffman as Norman, Sharon Stone as Beth, Samuel L.

Jackson as Harry, Liev Schreiber as Ted and Peter Coyote as Barnes. Watching this cast act is great fun, but when they aren't working off each other, or 'Jerry,' and stunts have to take over, the suspense flags. That was very strange. This book is a combination of psychological thriller and science fiction. It follows a group of scientists as they investigate what is thought to be an alien vessel that crashed on the ocean floor. Crichton's musings have a tendency to be deeply speculative of the human condition, but without using language that alienates the audience.

I can follow his line of thinking easily without getting lost. This novel's plot takes a sharp left turn off the path I expected it t Well. That was very strange. This book is a combination of psychological thriller and science fiction.

It follows a group of scientists as they investigate what is thought to be an alien vessel that crashed on the ocean floor. Crichton's musings have a tendency to be deeply speculative of the human condition, but without using language that alienates the audience. I can follow his line of thinking easily without getting lost. This novel's plot takes a sharp left turn off the path I expected it to take, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

It just gave me an odd feeling. I wasn't sure how to anticipate what was coming. Shit got real weird real quick.

The conclusion of this novel was genuinely shocking. There were moments here and there where I felt authentic fear. I had the urge to keep looking over my shoulder even though the events taking place in the book didn't relate at all to what I was doing in real life. But something was keeping me from investing in the characters. I just couldn't relate to any of them on a personal level, and I didn't much care who survived to the end of the book. It's a well written piece of sci-fi, and definitely a novel that fans of the genre can enjoy. It doesn't compare to Crichton's Jurassic Park, but still a fun ride.

Well, I had no idea there was a Sphere book. I only saw the movie and thought that was it.

Not to mention that the book is written by the same author as. A group of American scientists are rushed to a huge vessel that has been discovered resting on the ocean floor in the middle of the South Pacific. What they find defines their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently, undamaged by its fall from the sky. An Well, I had no idea there was a Sphere book. I only saw the movie and thought that was it. Not to mention that the book is written by the same author as.

A group of American scientists are rushed to a huge vessel that has been discovered resting on the ocean floor in the middle of the South Pacific. What they find defines their imaginations and mocks their attempts at logical explanation. It is a spaceship of phenomenal dimensions, apparently, undamaged by its fall from the sky.

And, most startling, it appears to be at least three hundred years old. Both the book and the movie have the same ending. But the journey to get to that ending is quite different at times. So if you only watched the film, or you only read the book, I think you should give the other version a try. I liked them both. The nature of the sphere itself remains a mystery, and I'm pleased and disappointed with that at the same time. I'm pleased because not everything has to explained, and disappointed because I really wanted to know whether it was an alien being or just a machine.

Read this when I was in high school, and was one of the few times I've been up nearly all night reading, saying to myself every hour, 'I need to go to sleep,' but then couldn't put it down. The movie adaptation was atrocious, so don't judge this story based on the film (I always pictured Ted Knight in the role of Ted, not Liev Schreiber [though Mr Schreiber is a talented actor]). The story has a very tense, claustrophobic feel, and rightly so, as the characters are trapped at the bottom of the o Read this when I was in high school, and was one of the few times I've been up nearly all night reading, saying to myself every hour, 'I need to go to sleep,' but then couldn't put it down.

The movie adaptation was atrocious, so don't judge this story based on the film (I always pictured Ted Knight in the role of Ted, not Liev Schreiber [though Mr Schreiber is a talented actor]). The story has a very tense, claustrophobic feel, and rightly so, as the characters are trapped at the bottom of the ocean. One of my all-time favorite quotes about learning vs. Experience: 'Do you want to understand how to ride a bicycle, or do you want to get on and start riding?' A very fun read. Was debating whether to give it a 2.5 or a 3, with the number changing throughout the book.

Man, this was. Disappointing, definitely.

What I liked • Interesting premise that held my attention up until the middle of the book, where improbable things start happening and Crichton failed to make them feel real • Slightly dry, witty style of writing, but again, made the dialogue really unrealistic What I didn't like • Terribly written characters. Crichton really overd 2.5 stars. Was debating whether to give it a 2.5 or a 3, with the number changing throughout the book. Man, this was. Disappointing, definitely. What I liked • Interesting premise that held my attention up until the middle of the book, where improbable things start happening and Crichton failed to make them feel real • Slightly dry, witty style of writing, but again, made the dialogue really unrealistic What I didn't like • Terribly written characters.

Crichton really overdid it on Beth, a woman scientist who has inferiority and self-esteem issues and talk a lot about how men is constantly being sexist towards her. Crichton has managed to make her into a whiny, insecure, overcompensating person on the issue of her gender. Surely a more complex personality can be used as a plot point/portrayal of imperfect woman/whatever he was trying to achieve?! Than a caricature of a feminist which obviously is basically the author's negative impression of them • Pop psychology.

The whole Norman trying to analyze his colleagues, but failing, because his observations are written by someone who plainly didn't have knowledge of the field. If there's anything a psychology student hate more than the type of 'psychology' you see on Facebook. • Unrealistic portrayal of emotions, situations, personalities • The premise isn't unforgettable, regrettably. It's quite underwhelming. I'm reading Nick Cutter's upcoming horror novel right now and it's reminded me of how much I enjoyed Sphere, Michael Crichton's best novel. It was my favorite book when I was a kid. I remember what a page-turner it was and how much the tension kept ratcheting up until it was unbearable.

I remember the plot being extremely clever as well, and how much of it was dependent on less of the sci-fi aspects and more on the characters themselves. I read it so much when I was younger, the book fe I'm reading Nick Cutter's upcoming horror novel right now and it's reminded me of how much I enjoyed Sphere, Michael Crichton's best novel. It was my favorite book when I was a kid. I remember what a page-turner it was and how much the tension kept ratcheting up until it was unbearable. I remember the plot being extremely clever as well, and how much of it was dependent on less of the sci-fi aspects and more on the characters themselves. I read it so much when I was younger, the book fell apart. But I'd love to read this again to see if it holds up!

Do you all remember how great the Andromeda Strain was and how us baby boomers were hooked therefore on Crichton's future endeavors, however unscientific and implausible his writings became? Being a science, SciFi, and computer geek, I ate up any dish he served. I believe many of you were not that impressed today with his writing, and have missed a lot because of the movies instead. I truly enjoyed this book and could easily see how a movie would be made someday in the future.

Since this review Do you all remember how great the Andromeda Strain was and how us baby boomers were hooked therefore on Crichton's future endeavors, however unscientific and implausible his writings became? Being a science, SciFi, and computer geek, I ate up any dish he served. I believe many of you were not that impressed today with his writing, and have missed a lot because of the movies instead. I truly enjoyed this book and could easily see how a movie would be made someday in the future.

Since this review was done post mortem, let's just agree that he had a big future and influence on furthering Hollywood's endeavors with the SciFi genre. Executive Summary: A strong start and a pretty strong finish, but I found a lot of the last quarter or so on the slow side. This is a pretty solid 3.5 stars that could be rounded up or down depending on my mood at the time. Audiobook: Apparently this book had been released in audio before, but for some reason Brilliance Audio seems to be (re)releasing a bunch of his books recently. Scott Brick does his usual quality job.

Whenever you see Mr. Brick's name on an audiobook, you know you're going to Executive Summary: A strong start and a pretty strong finish, but I found a lot of the last quarter or so on the slow side.

Building Estimator Software Free Download there. This is a pretty solid 3.5 stars that could be rounded up or down depending on my mood at the time. Audiobook: Apparently this book had been released in audio before, but for some reason Brilliance Audio seems to be (re)releasing a bunch of his books recently. Scott Brick does his usual quality job. Whenever you see Mr. Brick's name on an audiobook, you know you're going to get a good reading. Full Review I came into this book thinking it was a reread.

I did a handful of books by Mr. Crichton when I was in high school, and I thought this was among them. As I got further into the book, I became convinced otherwise. I found the beginning very interesting.

A psychologist is brought in to help with a crash that turns out to be a spaceship on the bottom of the ocean. I liked the mystery and investigation aspect of the story, more than the viewpoint of the main character itself though. As the plot develops and we learn more about not only the ship, but the sphere it contains, I found my mind starting to wander.

I didn't get attached to any of the characters. I found myself annoyed by most of the scientists. Several of them seemed to be more concerned about being published and/or their place in history than the actual investigation itself. I've always been more of an engineer than a scientist, but I don't know why anyone would want to deal with that.

As with the other Michael Crichton books I've read, this one takes science and posits some plausible seeming possibilities. He always seemed to have a knack for the techno-thriller in a way that doesn't feel cheesy and over the top. I'm not sure if I was disappointed with the truth of the Sphere, or if my detatchment from the characters just got to me, but by about the 50% mark, I found my mind starting to wander a bit.

The ending was pretty strong though, and probably saved it from me rounding down to a three. I've been wanting to take a break from SFF this year, and while this is definitely still in the Sci-Fi wheelhouse, it's more of a thriller with a sci-fi premise than a pure science fiction book. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as or, but I'm glad I finally read it. Michael Crichton had some amazing ideas, as pretty much all the blurbs on his books catch my interest.

But, and that's a big 'but', the writing is terrible. Sphere is heavy on dialogue, flat characters, and sensational action scenes. It's obvious that Crichton's true calling was screenplay writing, and so far all of the books that I've read by him were made into movies. He often wrote about interesting and very much possible technologies, but I so wish his execution was better. Nevertheless, thi Michael Crichton had some amazing ideas, as pretty much all the blurbs on his books catch my interest. But, and that's a big 'but', the writing is terrible. Sphere is heavy on dialogue, flat characters, and sensational action scenes.

It's obvious that Crichton's true calling was screenplay writing, and so far all of the books that I've read by him were made into movies. He often wrote about interesting and very much possible technologies, but I so wish his execution was better. Nevertheless, this novel is fun, easy on the brain, and drowning in enough cheese to make this a guilty pleasure. Words cannot express the contempt I harbor for this book. My hatred for it knows no boundries. There are few pieces of literature that I cannot come to appreciate in some way, even fewer that compel me to demand the time back that I spent reading it so that I may do something more productive like piss on the third rail.

It was rather suprising, considering Michael Crichton has published some excellent work. I guess he pulled this one out of his ass while drunk/high/stoned/oncrack/bordering on suic Words cannot express the contempt I harbor for this book. My hatred for it knows no boundries.

There are few pieces of literature that I cannot come to appreciate in some way, even fewer that compel me to demand the time back that I spent reading it so that I may do something more productive like piss on the third rail. It was rather suprising, considering Michael Crichton has published some excellent work. I guess he pulled this one out of his ass while drunk/high/stoned/oncrack/bordering on suicide. Nyesel banget baca buku ini:(..... Nyesel gak baca dari dulu!:'(:'(:'( Karena ternyata, ide dan jalan ceritanya bagus. Science fistion, mistery and thriller. What’s better than that?

What's not to love? This is a really great book. This my first super favorite of 2017.

Norman Johnson (53 tahun), sebagai seorang psikolog, ia biasa dipanggil pada saat terjadi kecelakaan pesawat untuk menangani kondisi mental para korban yang selamat. Hal semacam itulah yang ada dipikiran Nyesel banget baca buku ini:(..... Nyesel gak baca dari dulu!:'(:'(:'( Karena ternyata, ide dan jalan ceritanya bagus. Science fistion, mistery and thriller. What’s better than that?

What's not to love? This is a really great book. This my first super favorite of 2017. Norman Johnson (53 tahun), sebagai seorang psikolog, ia biasa dipanggil pada saat terjadi kecelakaan pesawat untuk menangani kondisi mental para korban yang selamat. Hal semacam itulah yang ada dipikiran Norman ketika hari itu ia dipanggil untuk bertugas di Samudera Pasifik. Ketika tiba di lokasi, Norman diberi tahu bahwa sebenarnya tidak ada kecelakaan pesawat yang terjadi, melainkan adanya penemuan pesawat angkasa luar oleh angkatan laut.

Sebuah pesawat misterius dengan ukuran luar biasa besar yang karam di kedalaman 300 meter dibawah permukaan laut dan diduga kuat paling tidak berasal dari 300 tahun yang akan datang. Sebelumnya, Norman pernah diminta untuk memberikan rekomendasi kepada pemerintah untuk persiapan kontak dengan makhluk asing. Rekomendasi yang dimaksud adalah sebuah tim yang terdiri dari berbagai ahli yakni seorang ahli fisika perbintangan/geologi planet, zoologi/biokimia, matematika/logika, biologi kelautan/biokimia, dan seorang psikolog (dirinya sendiri). Tidak ia sangka sebelumnya, bahwa di lokasinya saat itu atau lebih tepatnya lagi di habitat (tempat tinggal bawah air), ia bertemu dengan orang-orang anggota tim yang pernah ia rekomendasikan untuk menyelidiki pesawat antariksa tersebut. Namun, apa yang mereka temukan ternyata menyimpang jauh dari bayangan mereka, yang kemudian membangkitkan rasa ingin tahu para ilmuwan tersebut untuk menemukan penjelasan yang masuk akal. Sphere, ditulis dengan sangat baik dan mudah untuk diikuti. Pada bagian awal, misteri yang tersaji berhasil menarik perhatian untuk dibaca.

Dialog-dialog cerdas dengan selera humor yang tinggi diantara para tokoh yang semuanya adalah ilmuwan, sangat menghibur. Ketika mencapai pertengahan cerita, misteri yang sedikit demi sedikit mulai terungkap, digantikan dengan aksi-aksi yang menegangkan di bawah laut. Salah satu hal yang saya sukai dari buku ini adalah tentang bagaimana buku ini benar-benar menerapkan banyak teori dan ilmu pengetahuan di dalamnya. Diantaranya ilmu fisika, astronomi dan psikologi, teori ruang dan waktu, persamaan Drake hingga sedikit bahasan mengenai Black Hole. Ada juga ulasan tentang beberapa teori pendukung teknologi yang diterapkan di bawah air tentang bagaimana kelayakan sebuah habitat untuk ditinggali serta penerapan oksigen di tekanan tinggi jika berada di kedalaman 300 meter dibawah permukaan laut. Endingnya juga luar biasa, jauuuh dari ekspektasi.

Gemes banget sih sebetulnya kenapa endingnya dibuat seperti itu? Tapi kalau dipikir lagi, ini ending yang baik dan masuk akal. Highly recommended bagi para pecinta fiksi ilmiah;). 'Sphere' by Michael Crichton is a superior read in science fiction entertainment!

The moments of ROTF are many, primarily because of the intentionally funny dialogue which I adored. (In my checkered history of trying to make a living, I worked as a secretary for a Department Head at a Medical Center/Science facility at a famous University.

Science investigators ARE remarkably territorial, argumentative and viciously competitive.) I also was fascinated by the protocols the author mentions that ha 'Sphere' by Michael Crichton is a superior read in science fiction entertainment! The moments of ROTF are many, primarily because of the intentionally funny dialogue which I adored. (In my checkered history of trying to make a living, I worked as a secretary for a Department Head at a Medical Center/Science facility at a famous University. Science investigators ARE remarkably territorial, argumentative and viciously competitive.) I also was fascinated by the protocols the author mentions that have been created for determining if Earth is dealing with extraterrestrial life if some sort of contact from space seemingly has occurred. The plot: Fifty-three year old Dr. Norman Johnson, psychologist, has been selected as a member of a special American Navy exploration team of civilians.

There has been extraterrestrial contact! Anyway, a peculiar metallic fin has been discovered deep in the ocean buried in a coral bed which is at least 300 years old.

The Navy has already conducted tests, the results of which has led them to invite certain scientists to research and perform further tests. Johnson wrote the paper 'Contact with Possible Extraterrestrial Life' for the National Security Council, which is what the USA government is working from in response to the discovery of the fin. Along with developing contingency plans if some sort of space alien ever showed up, Norman provided a list of scientists he felt would work well together in figuring out how to communicate with something which might have completely different cultural reference points than humans from Earth.

The civilian team: Theodore 'Ted' Fielding, astrophysicist/planetary geologist and benighted alien enthusiast Elizabeth Halpern, zoologist/biochemist, cautious and smart Harold Adams, mathematician/logician, coldly logical Norman Johnson, psychologist, professional communicator and smoother of group catfights and various lovable technical experts from the Navy who run the huge underwater habitat of connected cylinders built next to the fin over a thousand feet below the ocean's surface. The plan after their trip in a submarine down to the pressurized habitat is to examine and explore the fin's exterior for seventy-two hours. No one expects the surprise of the huge hurricane which drives off the Navy ships supporting the habitat - or the door in the fin.

The dialogue in 'Sphere' reminded me a LOT of the dialogue from another great entertainment: 'The Thing from Another World', made in 1951, and still my favorite science fiction monster movie. However, the danger which resides within the fin is much more enigmatic and sneakily awful than the alien vegetable in the movie. The book maintains a solid footing in speculative sci-fi from beginning to end, and although the dialogue reminded me of 'The Thing.' Movie, the mystery behind the fin reminded me of Wow, is there a lot on the Internet about determining if space aliens are really from space! I decided to stick to the most famous respectable information site, also mentioned in Crichton's 1987 book - SETI: And, about the Drake Equation mentioned in 'Sphere': and the Fermi Paradox, or otherwise the 'where is everybody? Question: or, the thinking about how 'they' might be found is through tracking down hints the space aliens are looking at us already: or, actually, clues that they have already arrived. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, I've watched the movie a few years back. And all I could remember was the KRAKEN. Wait, was it a kraken? Anywho, will update later.

==== You know, for a second there, I thought I was gonna give this a five. The book opens with an extremely promising, thought-provoking concept that is too quickly and unfortunately abandoned: Beneath the modern-day ocean a ship thought to be alien, sunken for three hundred years, turns out to be The USS StaR Voyager, having apparently traveled through time to get t I've watched the movie a few years back. And all I could remember was the KRAKEN. Wait, was it a kraken?

Anywho, will update later. ==== You know, for a second there, I thought I was gonna give this a five. The book opens with an extremely promising, thought-provoking concept that is too quickly and unfortunately abandoned: Beneath the modern-day ocean a ship thought to be alien, sunken for three hundred years, turns out to be The USS StaR Voyager, having apparently traveled through time to get there. There's no sign of any crew, and the flight recorder only gives them a hint to how the ship got there.

It's a great story at that point, but there Crichton decides to deal with the one oddity found aboard: The sphere. Let me tell you, all the way through the book I was hoping Captain Janeway would make her grand entrance uttering her infamous bully speech! Anyway, the story then turns to the remaining characters as they began to realize that their subconscious was the enemy and the 'alien' sphere was the facilitator. It seemed good. Concept was really great. But there's just something wrong. Something I could not seem to point my finger to.

Oh yeah, it was the Kraken.! That dang Kraken from Verne's book! Quick review. I've read several Crichton titles, and consider him pretty much a master or adept at the genre. Wasn't sure if Sphere would interest me (even if a book is well done, if it's not your sort of book, it's not for you), but there it was in the pile, so I started reading it about a week ago. It seemed a slow starter, but that could have been me.

The premise is that a team of people are sent to a deep water environment to investigate what turns out to be some kind of space ship (?) or time Quick review. I've read several Crichton titles, and consider him pretty much a master or adept at the genre. Wasn't sure if Sphere would interest me (even if a book is well done, if it's not your sort of book, it's not for you), but there it was in the pile, so I started reading it about a week ago. It seemed a slow starter, but that could have been me.

The premise is that a team of people are sent to a deep water environment to investigate what turns out to be some kind of space ship (? Wedding Slideshow Studio Serial Key. ) or time travel space ship (?) with an alien artifact (?) that has some strange effects on people. Crichton seems to have done his homework, as usual, in terms of the technical stuff -- a deep-water habitat has its quirks. This is more of a psychological thriller, although there is definitely a sci-fi tech element. For whatever reason, I wasn't crazy about it. As I got to the end, instead of suffering anxiety over finishing a gripping book (it really is one that you just keep reading), I was rather looking forward to wrapping it up. Never dreaded any chapter, and that's pretty rare for me.

I mostly just browse through a chapter of a book because it becomes boring or seem useless to me. Sphere on the other hand was very consistent, consistent with suspense. You never know what could happen next and there were a lot of twists in the story. [ my favorite character from the book would have to be Ted, and up to now it still annoys me that he had to die. No problem with Harry and Beth though. Right from the start I Never dreaded any chapter, and that's pretty rare for me. I mostly just browse through a chapter of a book because it becomes boring or seem useless to me.

Sphere on the other hand was very consistent, consistent with suspense. You never know what could happen next and there were a lot of twists in the story.

[ my favorite character from the book would have to be Ted, and up to now it still annoys me that he had to die. No problem with Harry and Beth though. Right from the start I knew Harry would make it till the end, but I expected Ted to make it and not Beth. It could be a manifestation of Crichton not being sexist, and giving importance to females. That's just my opinion though. ] An easy recommendation for Sci-Fi fans, or even a normal reader who seeks suspense and thrill plus a very good plot that has been written very well. Crichton never fails to amaze me.

I liked this book but it wasn't what I was expecting. Crichton books that I have read so far have always been firmly in the scientific world, I feel this one branched out a little.

Thats not a bad thing, just not expected. As with most of his books the pace is fast and you feel like one thing after another happens without letting you catch your breath. The characters are believably flawed and human, no perfect hero's or villains which is nice. If I could change one thing about the book it would I liked this book but it wasn't what I was expecting. Crichton books that I have read so far have always been firmly in the scientific world, I feel this one branched out a little. Thats not a bad thing, just not expected. As with most of his books the pace is fast and you feel like one thing after another happens without letting you catch your breath.

The characters are believably flawed and human, no perfect hero's or villains which is nice. If I could change one thing about the book it would be that I would have liked more of a follow up at the end, in what happens with the ship they discovered. I feel that wasn't dealt with enough. But on the whole a great book that shouldn't be read if you have a fear of monsters in the depth of the sea. A team of people have been called to a ship in the middle of the ocean. No one knows why they have been called, or exactly where they are. All they have been told, is that something has been discovered under the sea.

As the team embarks on their journey, they wonder what they will find, and why all the secrecy? Soon, they will find out. Michael Chrichton has done it again! Although this particular peice of work may not be as believable as his other novels, it exceeds his other books in thrill, a A team of people have been called to a ship in the middle of the ocean. No one knows why they have been called, or exactly where they are.

All they have been told, is that something has been discovered under the sea. As the team embarks on their journey, they wonder what they will find, and why all the secrecy? Soon, they will find out. Michael Chrichton has done it again! Although this particular peice of work may not be as believable as his other novels, it exceeds his other books in thrill, and action. In my opinion, this book is one of Michael Chrichton's best works. This story truly is a page-turner, and I would recomend it to anyone who is looking for a good thrill!

All I'm going to say about Crichton is that he has a knack for what I call the 'miracle ending'. In one summer I read Congo, Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery and Sphere.

I felt the same about each of them when I finished each. He's a very good writer with captivating storylines, dead on science, compelling plot and in depth characters, but.I feel like he gets tired of writing the same story or can't properly tie things together at the end so he has som All I'm going to say about Crichton is that he has a knack for what I call the 'miracle ending'. In one summer I read Congo, Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery and Sphere. I felt the same about each of them when I finished each. He's a very good writer with captivating storylines, dead on science, compelling plot and in depth characters, but.I feel like he gets tired of writing the same story or can't properly tie things together at the end so he has some miraculous event do it for him. Michael Crichton (1942–2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969.

His first novel, (1966), was written under the pseudonym and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as Michael Crichton (1942–2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969. His first novel, (1966), was written under the pseudonym and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as and. His novel won the Edgar Award in 1969. Popular throughout the world, he has sold more than 200 million books.

His novels have been translated into thirty-eight languages, and thirteen have been made into films. Michael Crichton passed away from lymphoma in 2008. He was 66 years old.