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Sphere by Michael Crichton
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3,91435579 (3.54)28
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Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
The story was fun and intriguing, but I couldn't quite get into the people. Most of them seemed a bit shallow, they had odd idiosynchrosies that didn't seem to match the characters but were useful for the plot. For instance, the marine biologist was claustrophobic and couldn't travel in a submarine. The theme reminded me strongly of the old movie, but if I name it, it'll ruin the book. So there!

The ending seemed a bit contrived. I couldn't see these people going to this conclusion. And some of the conclusions they jumped to seemed a bit far-fetched. But otherwise the book was enjoyable. The action and suspense is typical for Crichton. ( )
  Nodosaurus | Aug 27, 2009 |
Superpowered subconscious seal.

An undersea expedition and experiment in living in a high pressure environment very deep in the ocean is enough stress and psychological worry for anyone.

Throw in a strange alien presence with reality altering abilities and things will get very strange and scary indeed.

The tense novel is definitely one of Crichton's better efforts, portraying the strain on and between the various inhabitants.

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2007/11... ( )
  maketest | Aug 26, 2009 |
It kind reads like the script of a MFTV sci-fi movie. Not a bad one, Crichton is always interesting, particularly when it comes to technical details (the sort mostly skipped in TV movies). A group of scientists are brought in by the navy to investigate an ocean crash site...but the "plane" appears to have been there for 300 years, and is not a plane at all. Alien visitor? The mathematician doesn't think so.

Then comes the squid. Giant, murderous squid. ( )
  JeffV | Jul 20, 2009 |
This is one of my favorite books ever. With plot twists around every corner the only thing that could make this book better would be more of it. There’s action, psychological drama, and plenty of amazing science fiction throughout this exciting novel that make it enjoyable read after read. ( )
  cbradley | Jul 16, 2009 |
A psychologist gets called in by the US Navy to assist in what he thinks is a crash site, but turns out to be the discovery of a starship in the ocean depths. This starts out making you think it will be a biology/tech thriller, but turns into a psychological one. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Jurassic Park. ( )
  gaialover2 | Jul 8, 2009 |
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
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Series (with order)
Canonical Title
Original publication date
People/Characters
Important places
Important events
Awards and honors
Epigraph
When a scientist views things, he's not considering the incredible at all. Louis I. Kahn
You can't fool nature. Richard Feynman
Dedication
For Lynn Nesbit
First words
For a long time the horizon had been a monotonous flat blue line separating the Pacific Ocean from the sky.
Quotations
Last words
Disambiguation notice
Publisher's editors
Blurbers
Canonical titleSphere
Original publication date1987
People/CharactersNorman Johnson, Harry Adams, Elizabeth Halpern, Theodore Fielding, Harold Barnes, Jerry (show all 7)
Important placesPacific Ocean, the Sphere
Awards and honorsNew York Times bestseller (Fiction, 1987), ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2000.03 | Page Turners -- Adult Novels for Teens, 2000)
EpigraphWhen a scientist views things, he's not considering the incredible at all. Louis I. Kahn, You can't fool nature. Richard Feynman
DedicationFor Lynn Nesbit
First wordsFor a long time the horizon had been a monotonous flat blue line separating the Pacific Ocean from the sky.
Last words(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
Book description

Amazon.com (ISBN 0345353145, Mass Market Paperback)

Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton is possibly the best science teacher for the masses since H.G. Wells, and Sphere, his thriller about a mysterious spherical spaceship at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, is classic Crichton. A group of not-very-complex characters (portrayed in the film by Sharon Stone, Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah) assemble to solve a cleverly designed roller coaster of a mystery while attempting (with mixed success) to avoid sudden death and expounding (much more successfully) on the latest, coolest scientific ideas, including the existence of black holes. Somehow, Crichton manages to convey the complicated stuff in utterly simplistic prose, making him, as his old pal Steven Spielberg puts it, "the high priest of high concept." Yet there is more to Crichton than science and big-ticket show biz. He is also, as any reader of his startling memoir Travels knows, a bit of a mystic--he is entirely open to notions spouted by spoon-bending psychics that most science writers would scorn. Sphere is not only a gratifying sci-fi suspense tale; it also reflects Crichton's keen interest in the unexplained powers of the human mind. When something passes through a black hole in Crichton's fiction, a lesson is learned. The book also contains another profound lesson: when you're staring down a giant squid with an eyeball the size of a dinner plate, don't blink first.

(retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:03 -0400)

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