Micro

A Novel

By: Michael Crichton, Richard Preston

Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

In Jurassic Park, he created a terrifying new world. Now, in Micro, Michael Crichton reveals a universe too small to see and too dangerous to ignore.

In a locked Honolulu office building, three men are found dead with no sign of struggle except for the ultrafine, razor-sharp cuts covering their bodies. The only clue left behind is a tiny bladed robot, nearly invisible to the human eye.

In the lush forests of Oahu, groundbreaking technology has ushered in a revolutionary era of biological prospecting. Trillions of microorganisms, tens of thousands of bacteria species, are being discovered; they are feeding a search for priceless drugs and applications on a scale beyond anything previously imagined.

In Cambridge, Massachusetts, seven graduate students at the forefront of their fields are recruited by a pioneering microbiology start-up. Nanigen MicroTechnologies dispatches the group to a mysterious lab in Hawaii, where they are promised access to tools that will open a whole new scientific frontier.

But once in the Oahu rain forest, the scientists are thrust into a hostile wilderness that reveals profound and surprising dangers at every turn. Armed only with their knowledge of the natural world, they find themselves prey to a technology of radical and unbridled power. To survive, they must harness the inherent forces of nature itself.

An instant classic, Micro pits nature against technology in vintage Crichton fashion. Completed by visionary science writer Richard Preston, this boundary-pushing thriller melds scientific fact with pulse-pounding fiction to create yet another masterpiece of sophisticated, cutting-edge entertainment.

©2011 John Michael Crichton Trust (P)2011 HarperCollinsPublishers

spellbinding

narrator was excellent
hard to stop listening
Dont miss it
Hope they do the movie!

Pretty good story

The story is decent, not what I was expecting, but good none the less. I'll definitely listen again.

'honey, I shrink the kids' for adults

Great story and concept. I want thrilled with the reader's voice in the demo, bought it anyway and I'm glad I did. I loved the tiny people battled insects and other creatures.

It was ok

I wanted to get a feel of old Michael again. It was close and entertaining at times. The dialog sometimes seemed like fillers for empty space that could have been better used. I would have gone a different way with the development and unraveling of the story but I wasn't asked LOL... The ending made sense and makes you wonder what else.

Does not live up to Michael Crichton's name.

There were obvious concepts that came from the mind of Michael Crichton, but the story was written by someone with a clear lack of understanding of the potential of those concepts. I only wish he had been alive to finish it.
The narrator's voice and inability to pronounce certain words didn't help either.

Great Concept for a story.

Where does Micro rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Extremely interesting book, I learned WAY more about bugs than I wanted to, but it didn't gross me out (and I DON'T like bugs!!)

What other book might you compare Micro to and why?

The adult version of "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" but WAY better!! Great concept, interesting story, and lots of action as well.

Have you listened to any of John Bedford Lloyd’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, very mind blowing in some places. Couldn't wait to see how they would get out of all the trouble they had gotten into.

Any additional comments?

Really good story, would highly recommend it.

Easy to use!

What did you love best about Micro?

Great story, typical Crichton story.

What did you like best about this story?

Descriptive storytelling as a Crichton book does.

Which character – as performed by John Bedford Lloyd – was your favorite?

I don't know he played them so well!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The cliff scene when the boat stopped.

Any additional comments?

I like it!

A good finish for Crichton

Micro is your typical Michael Crichton book. Venture capitalist with enormous wealth develops new technology. Group of outsiders converge and are introduced to new technology. Outsiders experience the negative ramifications of the technology and those who developed, profit, and defend it. If you like Crichton's books, you'll like this one.

Falls a little short, but not a waste of time

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The book is interesting and exciting but lacking in likable characters. The science is full of holes but I think the author(s) aren't pretending otherwise. In fact, one of the characters reflects on all the implausibilities of the situation and seems to be ok with unanswerable questions and impossible results. As to the characters themselves, this novel falls flat. The few characters that generated interest were either very minor characters or left the story surprisingly early. I looked upon the final cast of this story with the same lack of emotion or sympathy as the critters in the "microworld" might look upon them. The other issue I have is the theme of the novel, as it can't quite decide between being an adventure story or a horror story. I think if the author(s) had pushed harder in one direction or the other the quality of the book would have been better.

The strength and saving grace of this novel is the setting. The description of the micro world itself was fascinating and scene stealing, keeping me hooked despite my frustrations with plot holes and weak attempts at character development.

As it stands, Micro had its moments, and despite the above mentioned issues, I found myself always wanting to listen just a little longer...

Predictable and simple - Fell short of expectation

Would you try another book from Michael Crichton and Richard Preston and/or John Bedford Lloyd?

The narrator does a fine job telling the story and other books by Michael Crichton have been really good. I assume that this book was not largely written by Mr. Crichton as it falls short of my expectations of his literature. I will not be trying another of these co-authored projects anytime soon.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not sure

Which character – as performed by John Bedford Lloyd – was your favorite?

All were good

Was Micro worth the listening time?

Ultimately, no.

Any additional comments?

The storyline will too predictable and simply written. I don't normally take the time to write reviews, but I felt I owed my fellow listeners this feedback.