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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
Rating: 1.5 stars
Michael Crichton made a career out of making things scary. Airplanes were scary in Airframe. Nanoparticles were scary in Prey. Time travel was scary in Timeline. Tiny aliens were scary in The Andromeda Strain. And of course dinosaurs, which were already pretty freaky, were terrifying in Jurassic Park. Crichton is at his best when he is putting a sci fi twist on a concept and then blowing it out of proportion, often to calamitous results. In that way he's kind of like the Stephen King of science fiction (minus the affinity for bad endings). So with State of Fear pitched as the book that makes climate change scary, I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t believe me when I tell you that the majority of the protagonists are skeptics.
You could be even more forgiven when I explain the people they end up fighting against are the climate change activists themselves.
Maybe this is a modern lens, but this book just felt off to me. It felt wrong. Like even if you went along with the idea that climate change is natural and humans had nothing to do with it, then shouldn't you still care about the people it is affecting? Regardless of whose fault it is, these characters are in danger and need you help. Even if (supposedly) you had no part in the (alleged) problem, it doesn't mean you can't be part of the solution.
Michael Crichton made a career out of making things scary. Airplanes were scary in Airframe. Nanoparticles were scary in Prey. Time travel was scary in Timeline. Tiny aliens were scary in The Andromeda Strain. And of course dinosaurs, which were already pretty freaky, were terrifying in Jurassic Park. Crichton is at his best when he is putting a sci fi twist on a concept and then blowing it out of proportion, often to calamitous results. In that way he's kind of like the Stephen King of science fiction (minus the affinity for bad endings). So with State of Fear pitched as the book that makes climate change scary, I wouldn’t blame you if you don’t believe me when I tell you that the majority of the protagonists are skeptics.
You could be even more forgiven when I explain the people they end up fighting against are the climate change activists themselves.
Maybe this is a modern lens, but this book just felt off to me. It felt wrong. Like even if you went along with the idea that climate change is natural and humans had nothing to do with it, then shouldn't you still care about the people it is affecting? Regardless of whose fault it is, these characters are in danger and need you help. Even if (supposedly) you had no part in the (alleged) problem, it doesn't mean you can't be part of the solution.
I was on a Crichton kick for a year or two there. This is a fabulous book by Crighton in which he presents scientific evidence that global warming is essentially non-existent, and the future generation will be just fine - in fact, they will be, he says, richer, happier, more abundant and taken care....
State of Fear is about eco-terrorists, and the extent to which those who have nothing but their own interests at heart twist the truth about ideas that have no basis whatsoever, in the name of something great, such as "Save the environment, save our future, save the earth for our children....!"
The story is compelling, fast-moving, full of suspense and unique characters, which Crichton does well, and even at several several hundred pages, I could not put it down until I was finished!
Thrilled and intriguing at the same time, but the eco-political theme was not one of my favorites, and I will probably not recommend it as Crichton's greatest work.
State of Fear is about eco-terrorists, and the extent to which those who have nothing but their own interests at heart twist the truth about ideas that have no basis whatsoever, in the name of something great, such as "Save the environment, save our future, save the earth for our children....!"
The story is compelling, fast-moving, full of suspense and unique characters, which Crichton does well, and even at several several hundred pages, I could not put it down until I was finished!
Thrilled and intriguing at the same time, but the eco-political theme was not one of my favorites, and I will probably not recommend it as Crichton's greatest work.
After reading this novel I thought I made a long review but I don't think words can convey my thoughts so eloquently. So let's go with the review and this is going to be a different way. This book is divided in two if you wish;
- The thriller, chase and action scenes. The romance or lack of it and other stuff
- Then there is the controversy part where Crichton basically info dumps information about climate change and how companies, news and so are corruptible. Bear in mind that this book is almost twenty years old. Ideas changed, science change and politics changed. So there may be stuff that was "true" then and not now. Or general idea then and not now.
If you see the comments, and reviews here you can see the vast majority either love or hate and I can understand that. Crichton uses his characters to address some topics like rise of water, deforestation, weird weather, pollution and over population.
First of all, I believe that pollution and over population are deep preoccupation. I never really went overboard with the all climate change since I know history and know that there were modifications on temperature over the centuries. We all know that Germany used to be much warmer and then got colder around the time of roman empire and that's why so many tribes migrated from Germany and Scandinavia to southern Europe. We are talking about goths, franks, suevi, vandals among others. Since then temperature had it's ups and downs but since it was not measure there is no data to say okay what's happening now is normal. I understand that pollution probably facilitates stuff BUT is it as dramatic as it was? Or is earth climate changing (as it should even without human intervention?) If someone says, yes , I would laugh. Nobody knows. It's hypotheses and we can't test the other one so alas. Then you know the all species disappearing.. Who knows? Is scientist everywhere that know X millions disappear? No. For what I learn they do to a space with x years interval and check if the animals are the same BUT nobody knows really. This insects and stuff could migrated. It's all hypothesis. The sea level rising , it seems , after I've also checked hasn't raise anything significant. The problem was that people that makes this assessment are idiots that over use words and say "There is only more 70 months to change or there isn't a a no coming back" OR in ten years London will be under the sea or Venezia. You all heard and all were deemed... well wrong.
The only problem to be honest to our society is over population. We've got too much people and everyone wants a better life and society can't handle that. In terms of polution we are getting better (western society) but India, China and Africa are really to blame. Although if you heard the news you would thing it's Europe that is wrong. Fuck them. Go search in fucking google and search for it... here is one example https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/rankings_by_country.jsp.
Alas, I know I Can receive a ton of hate but fuck anyone who tells me I am the wrong one, when the people advocating for this are even worse. Look at Prince, sorry King Charles or Di Caprio and such. They fly private jets. There are others.. please just check. Btw, this is also another thing that Crichton nails it, claiming that the vast majority are after the money and publicity. News feed on it and they control us on it. Fear! Fear! Fear!
Look at world, it's one catasthrope after another to control us, 9/11, climate change, war in ukraine, covid etc. Everything to control us through our fears... They destroy and try to destroy or way of life through fear. It's awful what news do. That's why I skip them.
Oh well, I would rate this book 9/10. I enjoy it the reading and I made me think and search stuff. Unfortunately the thriller part is awful. To easy and second place.
- The thriller, chase and action scenes. The romance or lack of it and other stuff
- Then there is the controversy part where Crichton basically info dumps information about climate change and how companies, news and so are corruptible. Bear in mind that this book is almost twenty years old. Ideas changed, science change and politics changed. So there may be stuff that was "true" then and not now. Or general idea then and not now.
If you see the comments, and reviews here you can see the vast majority either love or hate and I can understand that. Crichton uses his characters to address some topics like rise of water, deforestation, weird weather, pollution and over population.
First of all, I believe that pollution and over population are deep preoccupation. I never really went overboard with the all climate change since I know history and know that there were modifications on temperature over the centuries. We all know that Germany used to be much warmer and then got colder around the time of roman empire and that's why so many tribes migrated from Germany and Scandinavia to southern Europe. We are talking about goths, franks, suevi, vandals among others. Since then temperature had it's ups and downs but since it was not measure there is no data to say okay what's happening now is normal. I understand that pollution probably facilitates stuff BUT is it as dramatic as it was? Or is earth climate changing (as it should even without human intervention?) If someone says, yes , I would laugh. Nobody knows. It's hypotheses and we can't test the other one so alas. Then you know the all species disappearing.. Who knows? Is scientist everywhere that know X millions disappear? No. For what I learn they do to a space with x years interval and check if the animals are the same BUT nobody knows really. This insects and stuff could migrated. It's all hypothesis. The sea level rising , it seems , after I've also checked hasn't raise anything significant. The problem was that people that makes this assessment are idiots that over use words and say "There is only more 70 months to change or there isn't a a no coming back" OR in ten years London will be under the sea or Venezia. You all heard and all were deemed... well wrong.
The only problem to be honest to our society is over population. We've got too much people and everyone wants a better life and society can't handle that. In terms of polution we are getting better (western society) but India, China and Africa are really to blame. Although if you heard the news you would thing it's Europe that is wrong. Fuck them. Go search in fucking google and search for it... here is one example https://www.numbeo.com/pollution/rankings_by_country.jsp.
Alas, I know I Can receive a ton of hate but fuck anyone who tells me I am the wrong one, when the people advocating for this are even worse. Look at Prince, sorry King Charles or Di Caprio and such. They fly private jets. There are others.. please just check. Btw, this is also another thing that Crichton nails it, claiming that the vast majority are after the money and publicity. News feed on it and they control us on it. Fear! Fear! Fear!
Look at world, it's one catasthrope after another to control us, 9/11, climate change, war in ukraine, covid etc. Everything to control us through our fears... They destroy and try to destroy or way of life through fear. It's awful what news do. That's why I skip them.
Oh well, I would rate this book 9/10. I enjoy it the reading and I made me think and search stuff. Unfortunately the thriller part is awful. To easy and second place.
Didn’t like this nearly as much as Jurassic park
For one, it’s much slower and longer. The characters fall into the same archetypes Crichton established in Jurassic Park (genius asshole, regular dude in over his head, and a beautiful woman), and the female characters are SO flat (Sarah is described over and over and over just as “beautiful” and had no other real attributes). There was also an absolutely horrifying cannibal scene that will haunt me. Wish I could’ve skipped over that.
Howeverrrrrr this book did introduce some interesting thoughts on climate change. Not at all what I expected but still interesting- definitely read the Authors note at the end, it helps explain some of what Crichton is getting at.
For one, it’s much slower and longer. The characters fall into the same archetypes Crichton established in Jurassic Park (genius asshole, regular dude in over his head, and a beautiful woman), and the female characters are SO flat (Sarah is described over and over and over just as “beautiful” and had no other real attributes). There was also an absolutely horrifying cannibal scene that will haunt me. Wish I could’ve skipped over that.
Howeverrrrrr this book did introduce some interesting thoughts on climate change. Not at all what I expected but still interesting- definitely read the Authors note at the end, it helps explain some of what Crichton is getting at.
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jokes on you Mr. Crichton, I still believe in climate change. Definitely some interesting concepts about challenging the scientific status quo and corporate greed, but flat characters and dubious scientific data detract from the experience.
I didn't finish this book. Characters were too shallow.
I hated this book within the first 45 minutes. The narrator's accents were super exaggerated to the point it was annoying. Every female character was overly sexualized in as unnecessary a way as possible. I thought this book was supposed to be about eco-terrorists but it just followed a lawyer doing random things lawyers ain't supposed to do. This seemed more like a way to beat the readers over the head about climate change than anything else and it both bored me to death and irritated me to no end.
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
A fantastic novel based on three years of Michael Crichton's research on Global Warming. The storyline is riveting and unexpected while also presenting solid facts about Global Warming that are included in footnotes as well as Crichton's Author's Note at the end. No matter where you stand with regards to Global Warming you will enjoy this classic Crichton novel.