Sphere

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: Scott Brick

“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.

Sphere was made into a film directed by Barry Levinson, which starred Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, and Samuel L. Jackson.

©1987 by CrichtonSun LLC. (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

"A page-turner with oomph.... Crichton's writing is cinematic, with powerful visual images and nonstop action." --Newsweek

20,000 leagues under the Sea with the Sphere

I don't remember the depth of the lab but it was deep and what happened there was strange and left you guessing till the very end. I don't think that this is one of Crichton's greatest pieces but it is brings up powerful fears for readers. The ocean isn't very well understood in places and the imagination can be even stranger. When the two come together you get a wild ride into the unknown and left helpless while the characters are struggling. Great book if a little weird.

A Techno-Thriller That Hits the Spot

A very enjoyable techno-thriller. Everything you would expect from a pro like Crichton. Suspense, a monster, clashing intellects, and pork sword fights. Totally awesome!

4 Stars****

Entertaining, interesting, and a little bit chilling

I have not read anything by Michael Crichton before (no, not even Jurassic Park) and found this to be a pleasant first. The book’s premise is interesting and discussions between characters is pleasantly thought provoking.
I thought the story kept a good pace, and kept me up late to hear more as I got closer to the end. The twists were unexpected without being outlandish, and the conclusion was satisfying.

The performance by Scott Brick was wonderful.

Terrifying

It's just the steadily mounting tension factors he keeps pouring on: underwater, aliens, codes, impersonal deadly threats from unknown entities, minor and major accidents, Steadily diminishing odds....

Completely masterful. Haven't been this scared in years.

Entertaining.

Entertaining and creepy at times, I enjoyed this read. I'd seen the movie and, be forewarned, it's not the same. The Audible narration by Scott Brick is good, even if his women are a little stilted. My one complaint about the book in general is that one of the characters, a zoologist, keeps using "octopi" to refer to multiple octopuses. I hate to be pedantic but, by reading books by actual real-life zoologists, I know that the plural is octopuses. There, I had to add that here because it bugged me.

Great Thriller

Read this book back in high school, it was awesome to have it read to me this time. The narrator does a wonderful job of voicing so many different characters. The story is well written and makes you think. I highly recommend that if you enjoy sci-fi and thriller genres that you give this a listen.

underrated

its been about 20 years since reading it and now listening to Scott Bricks performance it still holds up. great story

Excellent story, brilliant narration.

How refreshing to find a well-written story, rich characters and a narrator that does justice to the words on the page.
Thanks for a wild and inventive ride!

Fell flat

The book was a bit slow to start but started to get more interesting, but right at the end, it all fell sort of flat. I love this guy’s work.. but I could have done w/o this one

not even the movie could save this one

oh man was this a labouring read. I may have made it half way but just couldn't do it. The movie filled in what I suspected to be the ending, even if the movie was way off base...it wasn't enough for me to go back and finish the book.