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…. ([source][1])
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….
([source][1])
This is my fourth Michael Chrichton book, and I am beginning to understand the template. An expert in his field, pulled away to an isolated location, where humans are meddling with forces beyond their full understanding. The under water setting was unnerving. It worked. I turned the pages.
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 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 …
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 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.