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“Ingenious and beguiling.” —*Time* “Crichton keeps us guessing at every turn in his best work since *The Andromeda Strain*.” —*Los Angeles Times* “*Sphere* may be Crichton’s best novel, but even if it ranked only second or third, it would be a must for suspense fans.” —*Miami Herald* A classic thriller from #1 *New York Times* bestselling author Michael Crichton, *Sphere* is a bravura demonstration of what he does better than anyone: riveting storytelling that combines frighteningly plausible, cutting edge science and technology with pulse-pounding action and serious chills. The gripping story of a group of American scientists sent to the ocean floor to investigate an alien ship, only to confront a terrifying discovery that defies imagination, *Sphere* is Crichton prime—truly masterful fiction from the ingenious mind that brought us *Prey, State of Fear*, and *Jurassic Park*. ** ### Amazon.com Review *Jurassic Park* author Michael Crichton is possibly the best science teacher for the masses since H.G. Wells, and *Sphere*, his thriller about a mysterious spherical spaceship at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, is classic Crichton. A group of not-very-complex characters (portrayed in the film by Sharon Stone, Dustin Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah) assemble to solve a cleverly designed roller coaster of a mystery while attempting (with mixed success) to avoid sudden death and expounding (much more successfully) on the latest, coolest scientific ideas, including the existence of black holes. Somehow, Crichton manages to convey the complicated stuff in utterly simplistic prose, making him, as his old pal Steven Spielberg puts it, "the high priest of high concept." Yet there is more to Crichton than science and big-ticket show biz. He is also, as any reader of his startling memoir *Travels* knows, a bit of a mystic--he is entirely open to notions spouted by spoon-bending psychics that most science writers would scorn. *Sphere* is not only a gratifying sci-fi suspense tale; it also reflects Crichton's keen interest in the unexplained powers of the human mind. When something passes through a black hole in Crichton's fiction, a lesson is learned. The book also contains another profound lesson: when you're staring down a giant squid with an eyeball the size of a dinner plate, don't blink first. ### From School Library Journal YA As in Crichton's Andromeda Strain (Knopf, 1969), the focus of this science adventure tale is humankind's encounter with an alien life form. Within a space ship lying on the sea bottom is a mysterious sphere that promises each of the main characters some personal reward: military might, professional prestige, power, understanding. Trapped underwater with the sphere, the humans confront eerie and increasingly dangerous threats after communication with the alien object has been achieved. The story is exciting and loaded with scientific and psychological speculations that add interest at no cost to the action, including an intriguing sequence in which human and computer attempt to decode the alien communication. As the story races to an end, suspicions of evil-doing fall as many ways as in a detective novel. Young adults should find this book both accessible and satisfying. Mike Parson, Houston Public Library Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.