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Sphere
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 leas
...more
Paperback, 371 pages
Published
June 23rd 1997
by Ballantine Books
(first published 1987)
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Moe Cheezmo
Man can't write an ending to save his life. Always some stupid deus ex machina in the end.
Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
Jan 09, 2015
Alejandro
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-fiction,
novel
Back in 1993, after reading Jurassic Park (see review of that book HERE), I was like in Crichton-mode actived! ;)
So, my next novel had to be by Michael Crichton!
I went to the bookstore and this one was the first book that I checked and after reading the premise, I found it promising. ;)
So, I bought it and started to read it.
WoW!!!!!!!
Since the beginning I was in shock amalgamated with happiness since the style and mood of the novel was astonishing good. (Of course, by then I hadn't read yet Th ...more
So, my next novel had to be by Michael Crichton!
I went to the bookstore and this one was the first book that I checked and after reading the premise, I found it promising. ;)
So, I bought it and started to read it.
WoW!!!!!!!
Since the beginning I was in shock amalgamated with happiness since the style and mood of the novel was astonishing good. (Of course, by then I hadn't read yet Th ...more
Jul 10, 2007
Jamie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
7th graders and anyone else
First, an overlong apologist's review of Michael Crichton. Then, a very short review of Sphere.
(Life update: I am procrastinating).
In my opinion, you can only truly rate a Michael Crichton book by a) the depth and originality of the concept and b) the lucidity of the monologue/essay that will always occur, usually as a rant from some broken visionary genius or another, approx. 4/5 of the way through the book.
Rating Michael Crichton on his prose, either its subtlety or execution, is sort of po ...more
(Life update: I am procrastinating).
In my opinion, you can only truly rate a Michael Crichton book by a) the depth and originality of the concept and b) the lucidity of the monologue/essay that will always occur, usually as a rant from some broken visionary genius or another, approx. 4/5 of the way through the book.
Rating Michael Crichton on his prose, either its subtlety or execution, is sort of po ...more
I had some idea what to expect when I picked up the late Michael Crichton's sci-fi thriller Sphere because I'd seen the movie years ago -- a movie I love by the way despite a lot of lambasting from the critics and grumbling from the book's fans. Sure it isn't perfect (with its moments of cheese and flubs); nevertheless, the exciting, chilling core of Crichton's story is evident and for me the film still stands as a great example of escapist cinema, that mesmerizing addictive blend of science fic ...more
Bullet points seem appropriate when it comes to Sphere, the 1987 science fiction thriller by Michael Crichton. One of the qualities about Crichton's work that I love is the unabashed clarity of his concepts and the dependable navigation of his novels. Crichton doesn't seem like he's lost or should stop to ask for directions. Other writers--those with loftier creative ambitions, perhaps--tend to circle around ideas (like mankind's first contact with extraterrestrials) as if they've never been in
...more
Read this when I was in high school, and was one of the few times I've been up nearly all night reading, saying to myself every hour, "I need to go to sleep," but then couldn't put it down. The movie adaptation was atrocious, so don't judge this story based on the film (I always pictured Ted Knight in the role of Ted, not Liev Schreiber [though Mr Schreiber is a talented actor]). The story has a very tense, claustrophobic feel, and rightly so, as the characters are trapped at the bottom of the o
...more
2.5 stars. Was debating whether to give it a 2.5 or a 3, with the number changing throughout the book. Man, this was... Lukewarm? Lackluster? Disappointing, definitely.
What I liked
• Interesting premise that held my attention up until the middle of the book, where improbable things start happening and Crichton failed to make them feel real
• Slightly dry, witty style of writing, but again, made the dialogue really unrealistic
What I didn't like
• Terribly written characters. Crichton really overd ...more
What I liked
• Interesting premise that held my attention up until the middle of the book, where improbable things start happening and Crichton failed to make them feel real
• Slightly dry, witty style of writing, but again, made the dialogue really unrealistic
What I didn't like
• Terribly written characters. Crichton really overd ...more
I'm reading Nick Cutter's upcoming horror novel The Deep right now and it's reminded me of how much I enjoyed Sphere, Michael Crichton's best novel. It was my favorite book when I was a kid. I remember what a page-turner it was and how much the tension kept ratcheting up until it was unbearable. I remember the plot being extremely clever as well, and how much of it was dependent on less of the sci-fi aspects and more on the characters themselves. I read it so much when I was younger, the book fe
...more
One of the first books I ever read, and will always hold a big place in my heart. There's always room for (view spoiler).
Do you all remember how great the Andromeda Strain was and how us baby boomers were hooked therefore on Crichton's future endeavors, however unscientific and implausible his writings became? Being a science, SciFi, and computer geek, I ate up any dish he served. I believe many of you were not that impressed today with his writing, and have missed a lot because of the movies instead. I truly enjoyed this book and could easily see how a movie would be made someday in the future. Since this review
...more
it is awsome!!!!!!!!!!
Executive Summary: A strong start and a pretty strong finish, but I found a lot of the last quarter or so on the slow side. This is a pretty solid 3.5 stars that could be rounded up or down depending on my mood at the time.
Audiobook: Apparently this book had been released in audio before, but for some reason Brilliance Audio seems to be (re)releasing a bunch of his books recently. Scott Brick does his usual quality job. Whenever you see Mr. Brick's name on an audiobook, you know you're going to ...more
Audiobook: Apparently this book had been released in audio before, but for some reason Brilliance Audio seems to be (re)releasing a bunch of his books recently. Scott Brick does his usual quality job. Whenever you see Mr. Brick's name on an audiobook, you know you're going to ...more
Nov 20, 2015
Andrea
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
genre-sci-fi,
read-sorted
Michael Crichton had some amazing ideas, as pretty much all the blurbs on his books catch my interest. But, and that's a big "but", the writing is terrible. Sphere is heavy on dialogue, flat characters, and sensational action scenes. It's obvious that Crichton's true calling was screenplay writing, and so far all of the books that I've read by him were made into movies. He often wrote about interesting and very much possible technologies, but I so wish his execution was better. Nevertheless, thi
...more
Feb 20, 2008
Victor
rated it
did not like it
Recommends it for:
I wouldnt wish this on my worst enemies
Words cannot express the contempt I harbor for this book.
My hatred for it knows no boundries. There are few pieces of literature that I cannot come to appreciate in some way, even fewer that compel me to demand the time back that I spent reading it so that I may do something more productive like piss on the third rail.
It was rather suprising, considering Michael Crichton has published some excellent work. I guess he pulled this one out of his ass while drunk/high/stoned/oncrack/bordering on suic ...more
My hatred for it knows no boundries. There are few pieces of literature that I cannot come to appreciate in some way, even fewer that compel me to demand the time back that I spent reading it so that I may do something more productive like piss on the third rail.
It was rather suprising, considering Michael Crichton has published some excellent work. I guess he pulled this one out of his ass while drunk/high/stoned/oncrack/bordering on suic ...more
'Sphere' by Michael Crichton is a superior read in science fiction entertainment! The moments of ROTF are many, primarily because of the intentionally funny dialogue which I adored. (In my checkered history of trying to make a living, I worked as a secretary for a Department Head at a Medical Center/Science facility at a famous University. Science investigators ARE remarkably territorial, argumentative and viciously competitive.) I also was fascinated by the protocols the author mentions that ha
...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Very entertaining, despite the flawed writing and flat characters. The sci-fi storyline kept me turning the pages even though a part of my brain was questioning the lack of explanation and the implausibility of much of the non-sci-fi aspects of the story. A sort of popcorn flick only in book form...with lots of butter, but still a little burnt.
Definitely better than the movie, which was crap despite some great cast members. Pretty typical mystery/thriller/angst, scientists trapped in a submerged station on the ocean floor, faced wit a sunken not-spoiling-you and scary things happening...
I really loved this book when I read it as a teenager. Too bad the movie version sucked.
L'abisso come scenario per scendere nella cripta della mente, luogo che mostra il lato oscuro, ma di cui è necessario prendere coscienza per riequilibrare la propria personalità nelle sue manifestazioni interiori ed esterne.
Crichton prende come tema il concetto di Ombra secondo la Psicologia Analitica di C.G.Jung e ne ricava un thriller psicologico con caratteristiche iniziatiche, verso la scoperta di sè sconosciuti sempre in agguato quando le condizioni ambientali scatenano all'improvviso situa ...more
Crichton prende come tema il concetto di Ombra secondo la Psicologia Analitica di C.G.Jung e ne ricava un thriller psicologico con caratteristiche iniziatiche, verso la scoperta di sè sconosciuti sempre in agguato quando le condizioni ambientali scatenano all'improvviso situa ...more
Never dreaded any chapter, and that's pretty rare for me. I mostly just browse through a chapter of a book because it becomes boring or seem useless to me. Sphere on the other hand was very consistent, consistent with suspense. You never know what could happen next and there were a lot of twists in the story.
(view spoiler) ...more
(view spoiler) ...more
Apr 29, 2016
Lel
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
technology-driven,
ship,
at-sea,
time-travel,
scientist,
helicopter,
guns,
military,
doctor-healer-character,
drugs,
dc-vs-marvel-2016
I liked this book but it wasn't what I was expecting. Crichton books that I have read so far have always been firmly in the scientific world, I feel this one branched out a little. Thats not a bad thing, just not expected. As with most of his books the pace is fast and you feel like one thing after another happens without letting you catch your breath. The characters are believably flawed and human, no perfect hero's or villains which is nice.
If I could change one thing about the book it would ...more
If I could change one thing about the book it would ...more
A team of people have been called to a ship in the middle of the ocean. No one knows why they have been called, or exactly where they are. All they have been told, is that something has been discovered under the sea. As the team embarks on their journey, they wonder what they will find, and why all the secrecy? Soon, they will find out.
Michael Chrichton has done it again! Although this particular peice of work may not be as believable as his other novels, it exceeds his other books in thrill, a ...more
Michael Chrichton has done it again! Although this particular peice of work may not be as believable as his other novels, it exceeds his other books in thrill, a ...more
All I'm going to say about Crichton is that he has a knack for what I call the "miracle ending". In one summer I read Congo, Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery and Sphere. I felt the same about each of them when I finished each.
He's a very good writer with captivating storylines, dead on science, compelling plot and in depth characters, but...I feel like he gets tired of writing the same story or can't properly tie things together at the end so he has som ...more
He's a very good writer with captivating storylines, dead on science, compelling plot and in depth characters, but...I feel like he gets tired of writing the same story or can't properly tie things together at the end so he has som ...more
Very interesting read. As always love the balance of technical info and science talk with the narrative and tense story. Norman was an interesting character. I also really liked the way the various characters confusion and thought process was conveyed in the novel.
This was a good book until the end. The end, though! OH MY GOD THE END. So terrible. So utterly terrible.
Jul 08, 2010
mark
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
Fans of Crichton and The Law of Attraction
Shelves:
favorites
The Sphere (1987) is Michael Crichton’s metaphor for his own mind. The novel preceded Travels (1989); Crichton’s autobiographical work that attempted to explain himself and his beliefs. The plot of Sphere, the characters, the style, the action, the setting, the monsters, the technology, the science are all mostly irrelevant. Nevertheless, that’s what people focus on. And that is Crichton’s conclusion—that people, humans, do not want, and cannot, function effectively if they (we) truly engage the
...more
As with The Andromeda Strain, I was reluctant at the time (and still am) to place this in the category of genuine science fiction as I think of it, although I admit that it resembles what many people call SF, first in being fairly strong on the science and decidedly weak on the fiction, second in that it does present what one reviewer here called a "thought experiment" built on a more or less scientific idea. To account for my rating, one star less than I gave to The Andromeda Strain (my reminis
...more
Ever since I was aware of my existence, I always wondered when and if we will ever get in contact with extraterrestrials and whether they will be friendly or vengeful. Will they think we were just small parasites to kill or will they think we were highly intelligent and evolved forms of life? Whatever they think of us, one thing is for sure; we will be scared shitless when they contact us, not knowing their intentions.
While I thought the premise of the book could have been explored more, the wa ...more
While I thought the premise of the book could have been explored more, the wa ...more
It is fun to imagine how we would deal with extra terrestrial intelligence if we were ever to find one. What would they look and think like ? Will they be similar to Close Encounters or to War Of The Worlds ? Since they come from a totally different region of space, it would be logical to assume that even the concept of intelligence would be drastically different from how we have imagined it to be. Crichton's take on such an intelligence appears down at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean and like v
...more
Hmm. Not really even sure what to rate it.
Dreadfully slow beginning - so much so that I tackled maybe a tenth of it and then just set the book aside for weeks. That coincided with a reading slump, so I'm not sure how much blame goes to the book and how much to me, but anyway, I really just couldn't muster up the enthusiasm or interest to continue.
Second attempt went much better, and I liked the middle part of the book well enough - when all the exciting stuff was happening. (Okay, I'm shallow. I ...more
Dreadfully slow beginning - so much so that I tackled maybe a tenth of it and then just set the book aside for weeks. That coincided with a reading slump, so I'm not sure how much blame goes to the book and how much to me, but anyway, I really just couldn't muster up the enthusiasm or interest to continue.
Second attempt went much better, and I liked the middle part of the book well enough - when all the exciting stuff was happening. (Okay, I'm shallow. I ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SciFi and Fantasy...: "Sphere" Finished Reading *Spoilers | 58 | 69 | Oct 06, 2016 09:40PM | |
| SciFi and Fantasy...: "Sphere" First Impressions *No Spoilers* | 48 | 105 | Sep 12, 2016 11:31PM | |
| Goodreads Librari...: Please add cover | 3 | 14 | Aug 08, 2016 02:13PM | |
| Michael Crichton ...: Sphere Discussion - Nov 2015 BOTM | 10 | 30 | Jun 01, 2016 11:50AM | |
| How do the explorers survive pressure change from the habitat to the spaceship? | 5 | 47 | Apr 04, 2016 10:23AM | |
| Michael Crichton Anti-Defamation League | 1 | 29 | Mar 06, 2016 08:57PM | |
| Michael Crighton is such a fucking hack | 104 | 917 | Oct 08, 2014 02:28PM |
Michael Crichton (1942–2008) was one of the most successful novelists of his generation, admired for his meticulous scientific research and fast-paced narrative. He graduated summa cum laude and earned his MD from Harvard Medical School in 1969. His first novel, Odds On (1966), was written under the pseudonym John Lange and was followed by seven more Lange novels. He also wrote as Michael Dougla
...more
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“This is the gift of your species and this is the danger, because you do not choose to control your imaginings. You imagine wonderful things and you imagine terrible things, and you take no responsibility for the choice. You say you have inside you both the power of good and the power of evil, the angel and the devil, but in truth you have just one thing inside you - the ability to imagine.”
—
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“Do you want to understand how to swim, or do you want to jump in and start swimming? Only people who are afraid of the water want to understand it. Other people jump in and get wet.”
—
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