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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
I have spent the last week attempting to immerse myself in the last Crichton book (not the new one, the one before that), with a rather depressing lack of success.
For the most part, I enjoy Crichton’s approach to fiction-fueled-by-pseudo-science… it’s fun, and really, who doesn’t like dinosaurs, time-travel, knights, and airline black box drama? These are subjects that, if done well, can be entertainment for the masses (until Timeline was made into a movie, which was an entirely different kind of entertaining… yeah).
State of Fear is about climate crises (yes, that is plural), eco-terrorists, and the validity of the theory of global warming. Okay. Not generally what I’d be looking for in terms of a thrilling suspense novel (not even a genre I tend to read often), but it’s Michael Crichton- his job is to make ridiculous (or obscure) science into a fast, fun read.
Emphasis on fast, here, because I can generally get through one of his novels in a day. If that. But the whole thing is techno-babble of a kind I don’t understand… the physics and biology spoken of in Timeline and Jurassic Park were a breeze. This book is like slogging through hip-deep snow. Cold, miserable, and it shouldn’t relate to reality.
But I can’t make myself give up on it. I have Eldest to finish, and Ladies of Grace, Adieu to begin. And yet, I’m forcing myself through this book, hoping that it will redeem itself. It is a book, after all. I am incapable of giving up on the written word without at least trying my hardest…
For the most part, I enjoy Crichton’s approach to fiction-fueled-by-pseudo-science… it’s fun, and really, who doesn’t like dinosaurs, time-travel, knights, and airline black box drama? These are subjects that, if done well, can be entertainment for the masses (until Timeline was made into a movie, which was an entirely different kind of entertaining… yeah).
State of Fear is about climate crises (yes, that is plural), eco-terrorists, and the validity of the theory of global warming. Okay. Not generally what I’d be looking for in terms of a thrilling suspense novel (not even a genre I tend to read often), but it’s Michael Crichton- his job is to make ridiculous (or obscure) science into a fast, fun read.
Emphasis on fast, here, because I can generally get through one of his novels in a day. If that. But the whole thing is techno-babble of a kind I don’t understand… the physics and biology spoken of in Timeline and Jurassic Park were a breeze. This book is like slogging through hip-deep snow. Cold, miserable, and it shouldn’t relate to reality.
But I can’t make myself give up on it. I have Eldest to finish, and Ladies of Grace, Adieu to begin. And yet, I’m forcing myself through this book, hoping that it will redeem itself. It is a book, after all. I am incapable of giving up on the written word without at least trying my hardest…
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun adventure but I don't agree with the authors point of view. Nearly 2 decades since it was written we have had plenty of time to see the consequences of human activity on the planet.
Contrary to most of the reviews, this book is NOT about climate change.
The narrative is framed within the context of climate change as an issue, certainly, but climate change is rather explicitly not the point.
The entire story revolves around the concept of framing narratives: the way that you present your data allows you to manipulate your audience. The terrorist plot that drives the course of events is as much an example as the tables and charts that are brought out during slow moments. Even the title is taken from a conversation discussing how media manipulates people by controlling what they're exposed to.
Nastier and far more polarized things are said about cable news networks than are said about climate science.
Of course, most folks are prone to ignore this because they fixate on whether or not the protagonists conform to their existing bias in the framing issue, not what is actually said. Ironically, without going into spoilers, this exact problem is a plot point.
If you can read it without getting swept up into the us/them politics of a decade ago, and are willing to understand that climate research has indeed evolved (and answered several of Crichton's questions) in the time since, it's a worthwhile philosophical read. If not, don't bother: both politics and science have moved on.
The narrative is framed within the context of climate change as an issue, certainly, but climate change is rather explicitly not the point.
The entire story revolves around the concept of framing narratives: the way that you present your data allows you to manipulate your audience. The terrorist plot that drives the course of events is as much an example as the tables and charts that are brought out during slow moments. Even the title is taken from a conversation discussing how media manipulates people by controlling what they're exposed to.
Nastier and far more polarized things are said about cable news networks than are said about climate science.
Of course, most folks are prone to ignore this because they fixate on whether or not the protagonists conform to their existing bias in the framing issue, not what is actually said. Ironically, without going into spoilers, this exact problem is a plot point.
If you can read it without getting swept up into the us/them politics of a decade ago, and are willing to understand that climate research has indeed evolved (and answered several of Crichton's questions) in the time since, it's a worthwhile philosophical read. If not, don't bother: both politics and science have moved on.
I think the book hits on science, legal, and politics in a thought-provoking way. As a science person, the idea of being able to create repeatable science experiments is one of the major stumbling blocks with the overall development of global warming/climate change. I am not looking to cause conflict as I will be the first person to defend the fact we need to treat the planet with kindness and consideration. Nonetheless, while the book is a work of fiction, I enjoyed the questions it raises not necessarily as a challenge, but rather to push us all to do better in understanding and developing the foundations for our beliefs.
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was gripping and fascinating. Lots of science that I found quite interesting. It is an action book that will keep you enthralled. Once I got into it, I could hardly put it down.
I started to read this but couldn't finish. It just couldn't seem to keep my attention. I really wanted to like, and try, but I eventually just gave up. I didn't feel a real connection to any characters. I think I will watch the movie.
I had a hard time rating this book because I really thought it was good, and it really gave you pause when you thought about how easily data can be manipulated in order to show what the person using it wants you to see. But when Crichton started receiving--and accepting--all these nonsense awards from all these groups who also agree there's no such thing as global warming, well, that was just a tad too much. It's not like this is a well-reported book; it's someone's opinion made into a novel.