Prey

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Summary: Fast paced book where nanotech, biotech, and AI meet
Review: Prey is a novel about the possible consequences of nanotechnology going wrong. Crichton very cleverly describes how nanotechnology, molecular biology and computer technology (AI) will fuse in the nanotech world. He does careful research and the arguments are presented by the protagonist who is a project manager in the nanotech world.

The book describes how one application of nanotech will be based on a Predator-Prey system, which will be modeled upon animals in the real world (like a colony of ants). Such systems may not have a central intelligence (like humans or a company) but instead have collective intelligence based on simple rules. It is a largely a tightly written book, quite well paced and the characters are real. The appendix at the end provides references to seeming interesting material on nanotech - both technical and social from scientists working in the field. Every book I have read written by Crichton has been interesting and I have learned something from it. But then it is just my bias towards someone who is a Dr from Harvard and very well travelled? In any case, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one!


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Summary: Gripping
Review: A great read, one that I had to read until I fell asleep, and then pick up as soon as I awoke. Crichton draws the reader in and builds an amazing story, as always. This novel in particular doesn't feel like it was written as a screen play, and is all the better for it. That most of the novel takes place within a short time period adds to the tension and increases the pace. Character development is a little weak, but better than Crichton's usual. Some characters we think we know throughout the novel but only realize our error near the end. But Crichton's greatness lies more in his ability to take modern science- or soon-to-be modern science- and twist it just slightly, raising all the ethical and moral questions that surround the issues. It has been said that the best science fiction departs from reality only slightly. If this is so, Prey is truly quality writing. In the worst of worlds, one could see the book coming to life in another thirty years. But some words of warning: the descriptions of the deaths are really too gruesome and unnecessary. And the italicized blurb which is designed to get the reader to buy the book, just before the first chapter- it gives the ending away, making it obvious as to how the characters will respond to the trauma they face. Better not to read that till the end....

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Summary: Not Crichton's best effort
Review: After reading most of Crichton's books, it gets hard not to compare the latest effort against the previous books. With such books as 'Jurassic Park', 'The Andromeda Strain', and 'Disclosure' it makes it difficult to always hit a home run.

This book takes on the dangers of dealing with nano-technology. Crichton is such a good writer that he grab the reader and keep them captivated sometimes in spite of the subject. I think that is a great skill and still enjoyed the book.

The story did lose me a little regarding the mass of nanobots and their life like abilities. It is hard to believe some of the books imagery. This may be partly due to the limited knowledge regarding nano-technology.

If you a Crichton fan or some looking for an enjoyable easy read, then this book is good. However, if you're looking for Crichton's next great novel, I didn't think this book stood up with the rest.

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Summary: A peak into our powerful and dangerous future
Review: As part of a broad public discussion, not a specifically scientific one, Michael Crichton reaches into the deep thick darkness of our future with his new book, "Prey," and viscerally pulls out some issues, some potential realities, with his poetry-prose, that are so central to our continued breathing and cognition that we are well advised to ignore the obvious scientific weaknesses of many parts of this book. The issues he brings up include the development of nano and bio technologies, artificial life, and swarm and emergent behavior.
The plot of "Prey" is formulaic in many respects, following closely in the footsteps of books such as "Frankenstein," which was the first real story about artifical intelligence, "2001: A Space Odyssey" and, of course, "Jurassic Park."
In ignoring these varied faults, as we read "Prey," we sit quietly on this beautiful dark night and get a glimpse of the deeper issues that glimmer, simmering, on our nearest horizon.

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Summary: Prey Review
Review: Great book, great stuff about nanotechnology, compelling plot. I liked this even better than his new anti-ecology tome, State of Fear.

Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: I enjoyed the book, a bit technical at times, but what you would expect from Chricton (name hard to spell, lol) anyway I would suggest you buy it is a "required" book for any ones collection.

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Summary: Are You Kidding Me With This??
Review: I had never read any of Michael Crichton's work, but I was familiar with those books made into movies, and so I knew that what I was getting myself into with "Prey" would certainly be no literary feat of genius. On the other hand, I expected that, for his work, "Prey" included, to sell so well, there had to be some redeeming quality to it.

I was wrong. There is no redeeming quality to this book. It was like reading a rendition of a make-believe fantasy game that children play, only this was far less believable. The children could also probably have written their version much better.

In a word: Lame.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth it
Review: I have read other books by Michael Crichton and enjoyed them for what they are... easy on the brain, plot driven, page-turners. I don't expect Dickens, I just need something to keep my interest during my long commute.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't much of page-turner at all. First, the characters were almost cartoonishly two dimensional. I never cared about the fate of any of them. The plot was basically a Jurassic Park formula in a nanotech setting... science project goes badly wrong, brilliant protagonist figures it out and tries to stop it, scientists try to stop him. Unfortunately, there were about twenty times in the story where the "brilliant" protagonist does the most incredibly stupid things, like in those teenage scary movies where the kids always "split up" to go search for a killer. I just got to the point where the stupid-move factor got too high to bear, even for a piece of fiction. As for suspensful, I knew where the book would end up soon after starting the book.

What bothers me most about the book is that Mr. Crichton seems so certain that his stature as a bestselling author will assure sales of the book, that he doesn't bother to fill in the glaring "plot-holes" with plausible explanations or to make his characters remotely believable. If that doesn't matter to you, then buy the book. But, if you aren't a Crichton fan and are looking for a moderately well written, suspensful, page-turner... look elsewhere.

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Summary: Couldn't stop reading
Review: I think even a person with no knowledge in computer science and biology would enjoy this book as Crichton's explanations are simple and user-friendly, and I believe have the potential to get many readers interested in the subjects of nanotech, population biology, and distributed agent systems.
After my disappointment in 'Airframe' and 'Timeline', I was more than happy to discover Crichton can still get my heart racing. I was disappointe that it ended, wanting to find out more about what happened to the main character 'Jack' and his family, or the world for that matter. Maybe there is room for 'Prey 2'. However, there were some things missing in the book. I loved the first chapters describing Jack's life and the strangeness of his wife and baby's disease, but Jack seems to skip a few really big questions, such as why the baby's room changes, the mysterious device in her room, the strange people at the accident site, why his wife didn't tell him all of his former co-workers were working with her, why she couldn't hire him herself if he was so competent and she was so upset he didn't have a job... etc. Also, without wanting to ruin it for anybody, the ending was a bit hard to imagine, science fiction and all... But the book was exremely interesting - I couldn't put the it down!

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Summary: De ja vu all over again
Review: I used to really like Michael Crichton, he was cutting edge and new. The problem with Prey is that in truth it owes an awful lot to a book that came out two years previous to his called Decipher by Stel Pavlou. Nanoparticles that can mimic humans, eat flesh and become a formidable foe. Sure that book is far more complex and the nano tech is just one part of that book, but it's so obvious to me having read Prey that Crichton read that book and borrowed the bits he liked that Prey has made me lose a tremendous amount of respect for him. Prey on its own is okay for the first half, strange things are happening and the hero doesn't know why, but many of the questions are left unanswered, and perhaps the most annoying thing of all was the lame last minute attempt to wrap everything up with a two page excuse near the end. It made the book very unsatisfying. Disappointed.