Paperback, 500 pages
English language
Published April 17, 1998 by Pan Books.
In the South Pacific, 1000 feet beneath the surface, a spaceship rests on the ocean floor - a spaceship at least 300 years old. Has it come from an alien culture? From a different universe? From the future?
Four scientists are rushed to the scene: an astrophysicist, a biologist, a mathematician and a psychologist and together they descend into the depths of the sea to investigate.
The riddle seems unsolvable. Then someone or something begins to transmit messages onto their computer screen: messages that grow increasingly hostile and hint at a terrifying power...
SPHERE is Michael Crichton at the top of his form. An astounding combination of action, suspense and science that probes the darkest corners of the mind where man's deadliest enemy lurks. --back cover
In the South Pacific, 1000 feet beneath the surface, a spaceship rests on the ocean floor - a spaceship at least 300 years old. Has it come from an alien culture? From a different universe? From the future?
Four scientists are rushed to the scene: an astrophysicist, a biologist, a mathematician and a psychologist and together they descend into the depths of the sea to investigate.
The riddle seems unsolvable. Then someone or something begins to transmit messages onto their computer screen: messages that grow increasingly hostile and hint at a terrifying power...
SPHERE is Michael Crichton at the top of his form. An astounding combination of action, suspense and science that probes the darkest corners of the mind where man's deadliest enemy lurks. --back cover
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.
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 …
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.
