State of Fear

By: Michael Crichton

Narrated by: George Wilson

Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

The undisputed master of the techno-thriller has written his most riveting, and entertaining, book yet.

Once again Michael Crichton gives us his trademark combination of pause-resistant suspense, cutting-edge technology, and extraordinary research. State of Fear is a superb blend of edge-of-your-seat suspense and thought provoking commentary on how information is manipulated in the modern world. From the streets of Paris, to the glaciers of Antarctica, to the exotic and dangerous Solomon Islands, State of Fear takes the listener on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear.

©2004 Michael Crichton (P)2004 Harper Audio

Critic reviews

" State of Fear is one of Crichton's best because it's as hard to pigeonhole as greenhouse gas but certainly heats up the room." ( Entertainment Weekly)
"Michael Crichton's new, can't-put-it-down novel is a first-of-a-kind thriller - a fast-paced adventure based on the notion that a current widespread fear is baseless." ( Forbes)

Narration aside, absorbing and provocative

Yes, the narration isn't ideal (mouth noises and stomach grumbles are sometimes positively nauseating!). And yes, Crichton certainly has an agenda interspersed with the action. But I appreciate his willingness to be politically incorrect. As a scientist myself, I know first hand the power of politics and fashion on science. Crichton's provocative assertions should send the interested reader straight to the library (or scientific journals). Perhaps more of us should be paying attention to the environmental issues he wrestles with.

Great book, Terrible editing

If you are an environmentalist, you'll hate this book. If you believe that environmentalists twist & massage data to support their worldview, then you'll love it. I think you can see that in the other reviews. I thought it was a great story, very thought-provoking, but I agree with Joshua's review below. The mouth & stomach noises made by the reader were terribly distracting.

Not Especially Suspenseful...

Michael Crichton's latest is a novel about Eco-Terrorism, and the corruptive influence the media and fear-mongers have on modern America. The plot is fairly boiler plate: idealistic young Americans struggle to fight an evil, wealthy Attorney and his cadre of dogma spouting celebrities. Along the way, the American trades his ignorance for enlightenment and gains the respect of newfound friends and two (?) beautiful love interests.

I liked the first half of 'state of fear'. It was very strong in the beginning... But it never really took off. For one thing: despite having an assortment of really interesting devices to 'attack' the environment, the terrorists didn't seem to be a huge of a threat. I wanted to see them really do a few awful things, to justify all this globe-trotting. No dice. Second. The characters: Crichton's characters aren't very likeable. The main character Peter, whined more than any character ever created by Anne Rice, and the two female characters were virtually interchangeable. They seemed more like Bond Girls than real women.

The plot had its exciting moments. But I could've done without the silly cannibal scene. Four stars for an entertaining, but somewhat disjointed thriller.

Eye opening

Putting narration aside, I found the book to be an eye opener. Especially the author's notes and the appendix at the end of the book. It is striking how civilization will allow a "theory" to control it's very existence without adequately testing the "theory". Today's environmental movement needs to take heed and stop the fear mongering or all the progress that has been made in the last 30 years could go by the wayside. I highly recommend this book for the mystery/intrigue listener. It is an easy listen and yet opens your mind to question what is diseminated by the media and interest groups.

Great novel

He is the master of suspense. Really gets into the science of Climate and the how it interacts with media. Great story- wish he were still alive.

Great Book!

Enjoyed this book very much. It is full of truth and is more relevant today than ever.

Must Read

The reality of it all. Outstanding and timely work by Crichton, his best. This book may well be non-fiction one day.

Kept me wanting more

This was a wonderful book written by Crichton and expertly read by George Wilson. Crichton again amazes me by his technical analysis of the subject, married to a fantastic plot and a story that begged to be listened to. It amazes me how one author can speak so expertly about almost any subject.

very informative

I found this book very informative and eye opening, the content was very thought provoking and shows how facts can be manipulated at will.

Narrator stomach grumblings were very off-putting

Maybe the narrators should be fed before they're let loose on the books. The narrator stomach grumblings were very off-putting, from the outset.