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Prey
In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles -- micro-robots -- has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive. It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.
Every attempt to destroy it has failed. And we are the prey.
As fresh as today's headlines, Michael Crichton's most compelling novel yet tells the story of a mechanical plague and the desperate efforts of a handful of scientists to stop it. Drawing on up-to-the-minute scientific fact, "Prey" takes us into the emerging realms of nanotechnology and artificial distributed intelligence-in a story of breathtaking suspense.
"Prey" is a novel you can't put down. Because time is running out.
Every attempt to destroy it has failed. And we are the prey.
As fresh as today's headlines, Michael Crichton's most compelling novel yet tells the story of a mechanical plague and the desperate efforts of a handful of scientists to stop it. Drawing on up-to-the-minute scientific fact, "Prey" takes us into the emerging realms of nanotechnology and artificial distributed intelligence-in a story of breathtaking suspense.
"Prey" is a novel you can't put down. Because time is running out.
367 pages, Audio Cassette
First published November 25, 2002
2951 people are currently reading
52956 people want to read
About the author
Michael Crichton
223 books20.3k followersJohn Michael Crichton was an American author, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose prolific career left an indelible mark on popular culture and speculative fiction. Raised on Long Island, he displayed a precocious talent for writing, publishing an article in The New York Times at sixteen. Initially enrolling at Harvard as an English major, he switched to biological anthropology after discovering a preference for scientific study over literature. He graduated summa cum laude and received a fellowship to lecture in anthropology at Cambridge. Later attending Harvard Medical School, he earned his MD but chose not to practice, dedicating himself to writing instead. His medical background profoundly influenced his novels, providing authentic scientific and technical underpinnings that became a hallmark of his work. Crichton began writing under pseudonyms, producing suspenseful thrillers as John Lange, including Odds On, Scratch One, and Easy Go, and as Jeffrey Hudson with A Case of Need, earning him an Edgar Award. His first major success under his own name, The Andromeda Strain, established his signature blend of scientific authenticity, tension, and exploration of technological hazards, leading to its film adaptation. Over his career, he wrote 25 novels, including The Terminal Man, The Great Train Robbery, Congo, Sphere, Jurassic Park, Rising Sun, Disclosure, The Lost World, Airframe, Timeline, Prey, State of Fear, and Next, several adapted into major films, with four additional works published posthumously. Crichton also made significant contributions to film and television. He wrote and directed Westworld, pioneering the use of 2D computer-generated imagery, and later directed Coma, The First Great Train Robbery, Looker, and Runaway. He created the influential medical drama ER, which he executive produced and developed with Steven Spielberg, achieving critical and commercial success. Many of his novels, most famously Jurassic Park and its sequel The Lost World, became cultural phenomena, combining imaginative adventure with grounded scientific speculation, often exploring humanity’s overreach in genetics, biotechnology, and complex systems. His literary style was notable for integrating meticulous scientific detail, suspense, and moral cautionary themes. His works frequently addressed the failure of complex systems—biological, technological, or organizational—demonstrating the unpredictable consequences of human hubris. Employing techniques such as first-person narratives, false documents, fictionalized scientific reports, and assembling expert teams to tackle crises, Crichton created immersive stories appealing to both popular and scholarly audiences. His exploration of genetics, paleontology, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence revealed both fascination and caution about humanity’s technological ambitions, while his early non-fiction, such as Five Patients and Electronic Life, reflected his scientific insight and forward-thinking approach to computers and programming. Standing 6 feet 9 inches tall, Crichton experienced social isolation in adolescence and later pursued meditation and consultations with psychics, cultivating a lifelong interest in human consciousness and alternative experiences. A workaholic, he approached writing with disciplined ritualistic methodology, often retreating entirely to complete a novel in six or seven weeks. He was married five times, fathered two children, and maintained a wide-ranging collection of 20th-century American art. Crichton engaged in political and scientific discourse, particularly regarding global warming, where he was an outspoken skeptic and testified before the U.S. Senate. He contributed significantly to the discussion of intellectual property, technology, and environmental policy, coining concepts such as the Gell-Mann amnesia effect. Throughout his life, he received numerous awards, including Edgar Awards, a Peabody Award for ER, an Aca
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,849 reviews
September 22, 2017
Crichton is pretty much the king of speculative science fiction. From dinosaurs, to diseases, to genetic engineering, to, in the case of Prey, nanotechnology. If you read a Crichton book and don't say to yourself, "Damn! Science is scary!", then you missed the point.
This was not my favorite book of his, but it was very good. The thrills, the mystery, and terror all combined for a pretty intense experience. One of my issues with it, though, was how bizarre and out there some of the plot twists were. These did not make it bad by any means, but super confusing and unbelievable (in a few cases it kind of led to some plot holes, too.)
Despite any minor complaints I might have, I can easily recommend this book to someone who likes a good techno-thriller. Also, if you do like Crichton's other works, you really can't go wrong here.
This was not my favorite book of his, but it was very good. The thrills, the mystery, and terror all combined for a pretty intense experience. One of my issues with it, though, was how bizarre and out there some of the plot twists were. These did not make it bad by any means, but super confusing and unbelievable (in a few cases it kind of led to some plot holes, too.)
Despite any minor complaints I might have, I can easily recommend this book to someone who likes a good techno-thriller. Also, if you do like Crichton's other works, you really can't go wrong here.
May 5, 2018
I loved this book. It was very creative and imaginative and very strange in a "good way". I think Michael Crichton is one of the best if not the best Science Fiction writers!
I highly recommend this book and give it 5 shining 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars
I highly recommend this book and give it 5 shining 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars
April 12, 2020
A, for the characters, tour de force of possible nanotech escalation settings.
It´s like a combination of different tropes surrounding grey goo, all seen in Sci-Fi many times from huge scales to tiny scales, resulting in the reader wondering which scenario might unfold next, what crazy ideas these nanobots will have in the following chapter.
It´ hard to waste a perfect nanotech plot, but Crichton exaggerated a bit, he had the ability to even make molecular assemblers and tiny robots a bit unlikely, not to talk of the standard characterization weaknesses one is used to. That´s sometimes so weird that it´s amazing at the same time, kind of as with movies that are trying to overachieve so much that they are already cult and involuntary parodies. But this one is seriously not. Often it´s unwittingly funny, as Chrichtons´writing tends to be average and stereotypical, and this adds an extra layer of self- satirizing over the whole novel.
I´m often asking myself why there is still no series (I know of) that puts the main focus on nanopunk, but it seems to be the same problem as with biopunk, that´s also still at its infancy. Both have to deal with the problem that it has to go along a pretty hard sci-fi route to fulfill the expectations of readers that are more interested in info dumping, technobabble, and plot driven works, which automatically results in the disinterest of readers of character driven, easy to read works.
There is very much potential in both genres, as real-life genetic engineering and nanotechnology are accelerating parallel to fiction, and the first author establishing a trademark series in this new genre might get immortal with his work. It´s also a simple question of time, the more humans, the more readers, so that each subgenre can slowly become more and more worthwhile until the authors can generate enough income to fully focus on their work.
I couldn´t really say how to do it, as there are already so many Sci-Fi works superficially dealing with the thousands of tropes surrounding both technologies, but as Alastair Reynolds impressively showed with his melding plague and Bacigalup with The windup girl, it´s possible. Of course, the authors would have to be both a specialist and a talented writer, but I see much potential in the collaborative writing of some or many people creating the fiction they want to read, but can´t get.
A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
It´s like a combination of different tropes surrounding grey goo, all seen in Sci-Fi many times from huge scales to tiny scales, resulting in the reader wondering which scenario might unfold next, what crazy ideas these nanobots will have in the following chapter.
It´ hard to waste a perfect nanotech plot, but Crichton exaggerated a bit, he had the ability to even make molecular assemblers and tiny robots a bit unlikely, not to talk of the standard characterization weaknesses one is used to. That´s sometimes so weird that it´s amazing at the same time, kind of as with movies that are trying to overachieve so much that they are already cult and involuntary parodies. But this one is seriously not. Often it´s unwittingly funny, as Chrichtons´writing tends to be average and stereotypical, and this adds an extra layer of self- satirizing over the whole novel.
I´m often asking myself why there is still no series (I know of) that puts the main focus on nanopunk, but it seems to be the same problem as with biopunk, that´s also still at its infancy. Both have to deal with the problem that it has to go along a pretty hard sci-fi route to fulfill the expectations of readers that are more interested in info dumping, technobabble, and plot driven works, which automatically results in the disinterest of readers of character driven, easy to read works.
There is very much potential in both genres, as real-life genetic engineering and nanotechnology are accelerating parallel to fiction, and the first author establishing a trademark series in this new genre might get immortal with his work. It´s also a simple question of time, the more humans, the more readers, so that each subgenre can slowly become more and more worthwhile until the authors can generate enough income to fully focus on their work.
I couldn´t really say how to do it, as there are already so many Sci-Fi works superficially dealing with the thousands of tropes surrounding both technologies, but as Alastair Reynolds impressively showed with his melding plague and Bacigalup with The windup girl, it´s possible. Of course, the authors would have to be both a specialist and a talented writer, but I see much potential in the collaborative writing of some or many people creating the fiction they want to read, but can´t get.
A wiki walk can be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.ph...
May 4, 2024
In the vast, hot, sparse dry deserts of Nevada a miracle occurs...but not for the good. Back in Silicon Valley , in California, everything seems the same, cutthroat as usual, business is business, the weak fall, and the vicious prevail until another stronger one arrives...Jack Forman is unemployed, he lost his job six months ago, finding corruption can have hazardous consequences , companies are not happy with whistle blowers . A longtime inactive in this competitive place, is a disaster, a man with three children and an ambitious wife Julia, she has a job, is desperate . Jack becomes a househusband, not planned, but someone had to take care of the little kids, they are not angels, his wife much too busy at work. Technology is king in this prosperous valley, all is possible, dangerous experiments...are acceptable for going forward , making big money the goal. Which brings the narrative back to Nevada, a major problem is needed to be solved and Jack is the only person with the knowledge to do it. Oddly rehired by his old company, .Media Tronics, and sent to a secret site across the state border as a consultant for his wife's firm, Xymos , with a hush-hush Pentagon contract. A surprisingly development for the computer programmer... swirling, whirling tiny transparent tornadoes, like dust devils, he views outside the lonely plant, full of deadly bacteria and particles, they are alive, bold, brutal, and reproducing... Constantly changing shapes, beautiful colors, expanding and contracting, fading in high winds, but always reassembling in the burning heat in the daylights calm sun, still people start to die. Growing stronger daily, more intelligent and eerily forming solid images of humans, copies of the workers here. Especially Ricky, in charge of the Silver State's complex, and Jack's friend, however, it becomes apparent he is hiding something important . Jack feels uneasy and has a right to be so. The creatures want to come inside the building, why ? Julia is coming from the valley but he doesn't trust her anymore. Jack and a few friends must travel in the desert's night air and find the dust creatures unknown nest, destroy or be destroyed by them, that is the fact. Venturing down a slippery slope into the darkness of a cave, with menacing things below requires big courage, not many have...A great high- tech thriller, for the modern reader, as only Michael Crichton writes them, so well.
June 8, 2025
I felt like it was time for another Michael Crichton novel. Been awhile since I went through Jurassic Park and Lost World. And it’s rare when I read books of this length. But with the author’s raw talent, as he creates these fantastical elements using real world possibilities, along with memorable characters, is really something awesome to behold. Now this was a solid science fiction thrillride. Not my preferred genre, but I ended up really enjoying some of the technical aspects of the story. The characters were all damn good and Jack was a top notch lead. I felt like the children were built up quite a bit in the early portion of the book, especially Nicole and her parental conflicts, but they sort of became an afterthought. I also didn’t love the ending, which I suppose was the most sensible way to conclude the plot, but it just fell a bit flat for me. A less obvious conclusion would have been a better finale. Now there are a lot of themes here that parallel AI and our current predicament. The fact that this was written decades ago is pretty amazing, as things were much different in the early 2000s as compared to today. But the lingering question of how far should we take certain ambitions hangs in the balance. Many different perspectives and many different pros vs cons. And it will continue to be something that is a topic of conversation for a long time. However, when in doubt, it never hurts to reflect on core logic. That being…just because you can do something doesn’t mean that you should. I’m starting to sound like a disciple of Dr Ian Malcolm’s chaos theory, aren’t I? But the author has a fair amount of commentary throughout that will get you pondering some heavy concepts, and, while not Crichton’s strongest showing, is still a very, very good and interesting experience.
July 24, 2017
“We think we know what we are doing. We have always thought so. We never seem to acknowledge that we have been wrong in the past, and so might be wrong in the future. Instead, each generation writes off earlier errors as the result of bad thinking by less able minds—and then confidently embarks on fresh errors of its own.”
Michael Crichton seems to have a bee in his bonnet about misuse or abuse of technology. Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Next etc. are all cautionary tales about this theme. Prey explores the development and possible (probable?) misuse of nanotechnology. While it is a cautionary tale it is, first and foremost, a blockbusting sci-fi thriller. This is what Crichton (RIP) did, he wrote popular best-selling novels, mostly with a scientific theme.
Prey is about the development of an imaging technology for the military using nanotechnology to create molecular cameras that work together in swarm formations to take photos behind enemy lines. These cameras are hard to destroy as they are made up of billions of minuscule nanoparticles. The development of this imaging system leads to the scientists combining the nanoparticles with bacteria in order to give them a biological imperative to work together toward a set goal. Unfortunately, once these wee machines become critters they start to have their own ideas of what they want to do.
The novel is narrated in the first person by the protagonist Jack Forman. The first few chapters are mostly about Jack’s disintegrating marriage with bits of science expositions thrown in the mix. Jack is “between jobs” and is looking after his three kids while his wife works as an executive at a company called Xymos where they are developing the nano imaging system. Then his wife starts acting strange, their domestic strife begins to escalate, and a potential nano-apocalypse arises.
There is definitely too much soap opera in the first third of the novel for my taste, Crichton should have kept the domestic scenes down to a perfunctory level; he is no Thomas Hardy. Having said that, the build up toward the nanotechnology crisis is quite good. I like how odd little things start happening at Jack’s house, an MP3 player suddenly malfunctioning, one of the kids develop an inexplicable illness which clears up equally inexplicably. I have to say the child characters are awfully written and irritating, fortunately, they are not featured much in the narrative. Jack Forman is a frustratingly terrible protagonist, it seems to take such a long time for the penny to drop for him, that something very weird is going on. He keeps noticing odd things then dismissing them through some idiotic rationalization. While he is the character that drives the narrative forward he also holds it back. I was rooting for the nano-things to put him out of his misery.
The best thing about Prey for me is the science expositions, they are very well written and accessible. Unlike hard sci-fi authors like Greg Egan or Stephen Baxter Crichton aimed his science writing at the layman and this is probably the secret of his huge commercial success. I actually learned something about “agent-based computing”, how this programming leads to the nanoparticles developing an “emergent behavior” where the particles work together to solve problems even though individually these particles are brainless little things, together they form a “distributed intelligence” which enables them to plan and reason. What the constantly evolving nanoparticles are eventually able to do after they are fused to bacteria is fascinating.
In spite of its flaws I enjoyed Prey tremendously, it is an exciting read that also manages to be educational. Learning through fiction is the most pleasant way to pick up knowledge. I look forward to reading more Crichton soon.
Notes:
• Most of Crichton’s books are sci-fi but tend to be marketed as general fiction. To catch the fools who disdain sci-fi yet want to read it, I suppose. As far as I know, none of his books are set in the future or an alien planet. Sphere as aliens in it though.
• It is odd when Crichton is in the middle of narrating the character’s domestic strife and suddenly slips in and out of science infodump mode.
• As an SF author he not a patch on the likes of Clarke and Asimov but he probably has a wider mainstream readership.
• Prey was optioned for a movie adaptation years ago, so far nothing. If done well, it would make a pretty great movie, I think.
Quotes:
“Within fifty to a hundred years, a new class of organisms is likely to emerge. These organisms will be artificial in the sense that they will originally be designed by humans. However, they will reproduce, and will “evolve” into something other than their original form; they will be “alive” under any reasonable definition of the word.”
“Sometime in the twenty-first century, our self-deluded recklessness will collide with our growing technological power. One area where this will occur is in the meeting point of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and computer technology. What all three have in common is the ability to release self-replicating entities into the environment.”
“They didn’t understand what they were doing. I’m afraid that will be on the tombstone of the human race.”
“They reconfigured the nanoparticles to add solar power and memory. They rewrote the particle program to include a genetic algorithm. And they released the particles to reproduce and evolve, and see if the swarm could learn to survive on its own.”
“We think our bodies are solid, but that’s only because we can’t see what is going on at the cellular level.”
“Obstinate egotism that is a hallmark of human interaction with the environment.”
Michael Crichton seems to have a bee in his bonnet about misuse or abuse of technology. Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Next etc. are all cautionary tales about this theme. Prey explores the development and possible (probable?) misuse of nanotechnology. While it is a cautionary tale it is, first and foremost, a blockbusting sci-fi thriller. This is what Crichton (RIP) did, he wrote popular best-selling novels, mostly with a scientific theme.
Prey is about the development of an imaging technology for the military using nanotechnology to create molecular cameras that work together in swarm formations to take photos behind enemy lines. These cameras are hard to destroy as they are made up of billions of minuscule nanoparticles. The development of this imaging system leads to the scientists combining the nanoparticles with bacteria in order to give them a biological imperative to work together toward a set goal. Unfortunately, once these wee machines become critters they start to have their own ideas of what they want to do.
The novel is narrated in the first person by the protagonist Jack Forman. The first few chapters are mostly about Jack’s disintegrating marriage with bits of science expositions thrown in the mix. Jack is “between jobs” and is looking after his three kids while his wife works as an executive at a company called Xymos where they are developing the nano imaging system. Then his wife starts acting strange, their domestic strife begins to escalate, and a potential nano-apocalypse arises.
There is definitely too much soap opera in the first third of the novel for my taste, Crichton should have kept the domestic scenes down to a perfunctory level; he is no Thomas Hardy. Having said that, the build up toward the nanotechnology crisis is quite good. I like how odd little things start happening at Jack’s house, an MP3 player suddenly malfunctioning, one of the kids develop an inexplicable illness which clears up equally inexplicably. I have to say the child characters are awfully written and irritating, fortunately, they are not featured much in the narrative. Jack Forman is a frustratingly terrible protagonist, it seems to take such a long time for the penny to drop for him, that something very weird is going on. He keeps noticing odd things then dismissing them through some idiotic rationalization. While he is the character that drives the narrative forward he also holds it back. I was rooting for the nano-things to put him out of his misery.
The best thing about Prey for me is the science expositions, they are very well written and accessible. Unlike hard sci-fi authors like Greg Egan or Stephen Baxter Crichton aimed his science writing at the layman and this is probably the secret of his huge commercial success. I actually learned something about “agent-based computing”, how this programming leads to the nanoparticles developing an “emergent behavior” where the particles work together to solve problems even though individually these particles are brainless little things, together they form a “distributed intelligence” which enables them to plan and reason. What the constantly evolving nanoparticles are eventually able to do after they are fused to bacteria is fascinating.
In spite of its flaws I enjoyed Prey tremendously, it is an exciting read that also manages to be educational. Learning through fiction is the most pleasant way to pick up knowledge. I look forward to reading more Crichton soon.
Notes:
• Most of Crichton’s books are sci-fi but tend to be marketed as general fiction. To catch the fools who disdain sci-fi yet want to read it, I suppose. As far as I know, none of his books are set in the future or an alien planet. Sphere as aliens in it though.
• It is odd when Crichton is in the middle of narrating the character’s domestic strife and suddenly slips in and out of science infodump mode.
• As an SF author he not a patch on the likes of Clarke and Asimov but he probably has a wider mainstream readership.
• Prey was optioned for a movie adaptation years ago, so far nothing. If done well, it would make a pretty great movie, I think.
Quotes:
“Within fifty to a hundred years, a new class of organisms is likely to emerge. These organisms will be artificial in the sense that they will originally be designed by humans. However, they will reproduce, and will “evolve” into something other than their original form; they will be “alive” under any reasonable definition of the word.”
“Sometime in the twenty-first century, our self-deluded recklessness will collide with our growing technological power. One area where this will occur is in the meeting point of nanotechnology, biotechnology, and computer technology. What all three have in common is the ability to release self-replicating entities into the environment.”
“They didn’t understand what they were doing. I’m afraid that will be on the tombstone of the human race.”
“They reconfigured the nanoparticles to add solar power and memory. They rewrote the particle program to include a genetic algorithm. And they released the particles to reproduce and evolve, and see if the swarm could learn to survive on its own.”
“We think our bodies are solid, but that’s only because we can’t see what is going on at the cellular level.”
“Obstinate egotism that is a hallmark of human interaction with the environment.”
March 14, 2022
Prey definitely was the kind of book I needed, fast paced and exciting from the beginning to end. Need to try and read more by him rather soon
March 1, 2009
I remember I first learned that Jurassic Park was actually a book - that was sometime last year. Well, I read it this year, and Jurassic Park turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read. And then I saw Prey by Michael Crichton (the genius behind Jurassic Park) and figured "There's no way this is as good as Jurassic Park." After reading it, though, I found out that Prey is another home run by Michael Crichton, a spectacular book comparable to Jurassic Park, and probably a top three book I've ever read (not counting The Series of Unfortunate Events, of course).
Prey is a first-person story about Jack Foreman, a former employee at MediaTronics (sorry if I mess up the plotline; I finished the book in January). Jack, unfortunately, got fired from MediaTronics; and now, Jack is a stay-at-home dad. Jack's wife, Julia, works at Xymos, a rival corporation, and Jack believes that Julia is having an affair with Ricky, who owns Xymos. Eventually, Julia shows Jack a new creation at Xymos: a cloud of nanocameras that works as one big camera that Julia says are meant for medical purposes. Soon thereafter, Ricky invites Jack to the Xymos laboratory in Nevada to help fix a problem. The problem is, one of the camera swarms got loose. And it is learning and adapting - and soon enough, it starts killing off the Xymos scientists. Throughout the adventure in Nevada, Jack learns the truth about the nanocameras, the truth about Ricky and Julia, and Jack even gets to meet some of his former employees.
Prey starts off slow, setting everything up; but once it gets going, it doesn't stop. Prey is an extremely exciting and adrenaline-packed book. It has a lot: suspected affairs, killer nanobots, explosions, and the like. and it is all extremely fun to read. The book is also written in Michael Crichton's informal style, and that makes Prey that much more exciting and fun to read. The book does a spectacular job making you actually develop feelings toward the characters, and I found myself rooting for Jack in the final scene against the bad guys. Also, I found myself feeling dislike for Julia and Ricky throughout the book. And, being Michael Crichton, you get to learn stuff, and you get to have fun doing it.
So all in all, Prey is a spectacular book. It is not as good as Jurassic Park, but Prey sure comes close. The energy, pacing, and action of Prey, as well as the sheer entertainment value, make Prey one of my favorite books of all time.
Prey is a first-person story about Jack Foreman, a former employee at MediaTronics (sorry if I mess up the plotline; I finished the book in January). Jack, unfortunately, got fired from MediaTronics; and now, Jack is a stay-at-home dad. Jack's wife, Julia, works at Xymos, a rival corporation, and Jack believes that Julia is having an affair with Ricky, who owns Xymos. Eventually, Julia shows Jack a new creation at Xymos: a cloud of nanocameras that works as one big camera that Julia says are meant for medical purposes. Soon thereafter, Ricky invites Jack to the Xymos laboratory in Nevada to help fix a problem. The problem is, one of the camera swarms got loose. And it is learning and adapting - and soon enough, it starts killing off the Xymos scientists. Throughout the adventure in Nevada, Jack learns the truth about the nanocameras, the truth about Ricky and Julia, and Jack even gets to meet some of his former employees.
Prey starts off slow, setting everything up; but once it gets going, it doesn't stop. Prey is an extremely exciting and adrenaline-packed book. It has a lot: suspected affairs, killer nanobots, explosions, and the like. and it is all extremely fun to read. The book is also written in Michael Crichton's informal style, and that makes Prey that much more exciting and fun to read. The book does a spectacular job making you actually develop feelings toward the characters, and I found myself rooting for Jack in the final scene against the bad guys. Also, I found myself feeling dislike for Julia and Ricky throughout the book. And, being Michael Crichton, you get to learn stuff, and you get to have fun doing it.
So all in all, Prey is a spectacular book. It is not as good as Jurassic Park, but Prey sure comes close. The energy, pacing, and action of Prey, as well as the sheer entertainment value, make Prey one of my favorite books of all time.
May 6, 2022
Exciting and the science on emergent behaviour and self-reproduction of bots is so good and fairly plausible. Pretty dystopic thinking about it tbh. I enjoyed it!
June 3, 2012
If someone recommended to me a book about shape-shifting creatures who feed on human flesh to spawn and have a central mothership nest in the middle of a desert, I think I would have never, ever picked up that book and recommended Twilight to that person in return, out of sheer spite. Yes, and I think I would have picked Twilight over this kind of book in a heartbeat.
Well, what do ya know, those would have been the most horrible mistakes that I could have ever committed in my life. Well, never judge a book by it's cover, or blurb, seriously.
If you have noticed, most of my books in my shelves consist mainly of the romance and young adult genre. I'm sure some people out there have labelled me as sappy and shallow by now. But wait! I'll prove you wrong. I've finally read a Michael Crichton book. Ha! I AM WELL-READ, DEEPLY INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIFICALLY KNOWLEDGABLE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....!
Yeah, I'm exaggerating here, and having finished a Michael Crichton book from first page to last should not be the (only) benchmark to judge whether people are just shallow-minded or not. But reading a Michael Crichton book is anything but easy. It's mind-boggling. It's like reading an entire Encyclopedia and learning how to see the interdisciplinarity between the many scientific fields out there. Wow. From computer programming to distributive intelligence to emergent behavior to parasitism and symbiosis to microbiology. A-freaking-mazing. Crichton seems to have an inspirations-overload and regurgitated his entire bachelor and postgraduate Science degrees (Ok, I don't really know the educational background of Crichton, but if he didn't graduate from Science in reality, you definitely would have a hard time convincing me otherwise.) in one entire book without making the storyline seem haphazard. The plot actually makes a lot of sense. I would love to have Crichton as my Science teacher.
Hailed as a typical Michael Crichton classic, Prey is a book about a group of white-collar scientists and engineers embarking on an ambitious project only to have things turn awry and ultimately out of their control when they come to realize their so-called project seems to have a mind of its own and turns against the researchers. The brilliance of the book lies in the usage of scientific facts to corroborate the plot so that readers will be convinced of the plot's reality. It's like a forboding prelude to the scientific problems mankind will face in the near future. I bet Crichton's first book ever as a kid in the sixties or seventies (I'm just guessing and am probably wrong; I don't even know his age) is about environmental pollution and climate change. Crichton's book has an unnerving portent for technology-caused calamities which I can only prey - oops! I meant pray will not come true.
I'm so proud of myself; I can now spout big words like microbrewery, self-organization, lithotrophic base and assembler design (Ok, with a very ambiguous understanding about what each of the words mean)! This book is not for lazyheads. Merely to comprehend the basic idea of how the predators (not the dinosaurs from Jurrasic Park, but the predators in Prey - Ok, that sounds really weird - and sorry, I cannot be more specific about what the predators are or I'll be giving the most shocking part of the book away; think bees crossed with zombies - Ok, that must have seemed even weirder) came into existence requires readers' full attention to the scientific facts weaved throughout the story. I know most of the reviews for this book on Goodreads are quite negative, but as a student who hasn't gone to college yet, my advantage is that I don't have to suspend any disbeliefs (I don't have any to suspend, sadly) to find the book a believable read. This book makes me want to embark on a science-related career to see firsthand the miracles of science and the coolest technologies that can be invented; yet the book makes me hesitant to study science in fear of having the pleasure of reading sci-fi books lost to me forever. Ironic.
Prey is not merely for nerds. There are plenty of action and suspense throughout the book for everyone and anyone (Ok, maybe just anyone who loves action and science) to enjoy. This book is not for the faint-hearted!
Before I end this review, I would like to leave readers with a few words of caution: beware of human-eating shape-shifting pee-in-your-pants-inducing predators! According to Crichton, yes, the existence of such creatures seems frighteningly possible and vivid in the near future with the advancement of science. No, I am not talking about the vampires from Twilight, *wink wink. Unless Crichton starts a new book about how vampires can actually exist from the viewpoint of science, I will never believe in the existence of Twilight vampires. God, I would LURRRRVE to see Crichton try.
Well, what do ya know, those would have been the most horrible mistakes that I could have ever committed in my life. Well, never judge a book by it's cover, or blurb, seriously.
If you have noticed, most of my books in my shelves consist mainly of the romance and young adult genre. I'm sure some people out there have labelled me as sappy and shallow by now. But wait! I'll prove you wrong. I've finally read a Michael Crichton book. Ha! I AM WELL-READ, DEEPLY INTELLECTUAL AND SCIENTIFICALLY KNOWLEDGABLE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA....!
Yeah, I'm exaggerating here, and having finished a Michael Crichton book from first page to last should not be the (only) benchmark to judge whether people are just shallow-minded or not. But reading a Michael Crichton book is anything but easy. It's mind-boggling. It's like reading an entire Encyclopedia and learning how to see the interdisciplinarity between the many scientific fields out there. Wow. From computer programming to distributive intelligence to emergent behavior to parasitism and symbiosis to microbiology. A-freaking-mazing. Crichton seems to have an inspirations-overload and regurgitated his entire bachelor and postgraduate Science degrees (Ok, I don't really know the educational background of Crichton, but if he didn't graduate from Science in reality, you definitely would have a hard time convincing me otherwise.) in one entire book without making the storyline seem haphazard. The plot actually makes a lot of sense. I would love to have Crichton as my Science teacher.
Hailed as a typical Michael Crichton classic, Prey is a book about a group of white-collar scientists and engineers embarking on an ambitious project only to have things turn awry and ultimately out of their control when they come to realize their so-called project seems to have a mind of its own and turns against the researchers. The brilliance of the book lies in the usage of scientific facts to corroborate the plot so that readers will be convinced of the plot's reality. It's like a forboding prelude to the scientific problems mankind will face in the near future. I bet Crichton's first book ever as a kid in the sixties or seventies (I'm just guessing and am probably wrong; I don't even know his age) is about environmental pollution and climate change. Crichton's book has an unnerving portent for technology-caused calamities which I can only prey - oops! I meant pray will not come true.
I'm so proud of myself; I can now spout big words like microbrewery, self-organization, lithotrophic base and assembler design (Ok, with a very ambiguous understanding about what each of the words mean)! This book is not for lazyheads. Merely to comprehend the basic idea of how the predators (not the dinosaurs from Jurrasic Park, but the predators in Prey - Ok, that sounds really weird - and sorry, I cannot be more specific about what the predators are or I'll be giving the most shocking part of the book away; think bees crossed with zombies - Ok, that must have seemed even weirder) came into existence requires readers' full attention to the scientific facts weaved throughout the story. I know most of the reviews for this book on Goodreads are quite negative, but as a student who hasn't gone to college yet, my advantage is that I don't have to suspend any disbeliefs (I don't have any to suspend, sadly) to find the book a believable read. This book makes me want to embark on a science-related career to see firsthand the miracles of science and the coolest technologies that can be invented; yet the book makes me hesitant to study science in fear of having the pleasure of reading sci-fi books lost to me forever. Ironic.
Prey is not merely for nerds. There are plenty of action and suspense throughout the book for everyone and anyone (Ok, maybe just anyone who loves action and science) to enjoy. This book is not for the faint-hearted!
Before I end this review, I would like to leave readers with a few words of caution: beware of human-eating shape-shifting pee-in-your-pants-inducing predators! According to Crichton, yes, the existence of such creatures seems frighteningly possible and vivid in the near future with the advancement of science. No, I am not talking about the vampires from Twilight, *wink wink. Unless Crichton starts a new book about how vampires can actually exist from the viewpoint of science, I will never believe in the existence of Twilight vampires. God, I would LURRRRVE to see Crichton try.
March 10, 2019
One of the most entertaining books I've ever read.
November 14, 2015
Ok so did jack succeed or what?!??
This was a very cloak and dagger type read. It was full of mysteries, and non-stop action! The lead character was a noble hero!! I don't think anyone could not root for him. But I am worried for the supporting characters... WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!!!
The story was a little far fetched. But idk maybe it's something that could happen, all this technology getting better and better, more and more complicated EVERYDAY!!!
Kinda frightening when you think of it that way....
This was a very cloak and dagger type read. It was full of mysteries, and non-stop action! The lead character was a noble hero!! I don't think anyone could not root for him. But I am worried for the supporting characters... WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM!!!
The story was a little far fetched. But idk maybe it's something that could happen, all this technology getting better and better, more and more complicated EVERYDAY!!!
Kinda frightening when you think of it that way....
October 1, 2008
Like all Chrichton books, I really enjoyed this blend of modern technology, science, and fiction. It's an entertaining way to learn something new while enjoying a decent story. Yeah, it can be a slower read at times while you work thru the descriptive science, but I never felt that it distracted from the experience. Not as good as Jurassic Park, but a tad better than Sphere and much better than Congo, Timeline, & Eaters of the Dead.
June 30, 2022
This is my second Michael Crichton read (thank you Simone), and I absolutely could not put this book down!
As is classic Michael Crichton style, this is a piece of speculative science fiction. We open to story from the perspective of our protagonist, Jack Forman, a biologist turned programmer raising a family in Silicon Valley. Jack is currently unemployed and is a stay-at-home-dad after being let go by his employer. We are then introduced to his wife, Julia, an ambitious executive at a biotechnology startup, focused on the development of molecular engineering to synthesize nanorobots. When we first meet Julia, Jack reflects on how her demeanor has become more aggressive and impatient, with her growing distant from her family due to her long hours at work. After Julia is in a car accident, Jack is approached by his prior employer to work as a consultant on his wife's project. He is flown out to the barren desert of Nevada, where an experiment has gone horribly wrong. The nanobots have escaped the lab, and having been programmed with a machine learning algorithm based on biological systems, they have become a nightmarish threat. These bots can not only self-sustain, but reproduce. And with their built-in ability to problem solve, they are learning how to become better hunters, quickly. THey have become predators, and we are the prey.
In typical Crichton fashion, this story is filled with twists and turns, one can never quite tell who is on what side, creating a sense of uneasiness in each character interaction. While this book was a great page turner, and I did in fact greatly enjoy it, it was not perfect. As mentioned before, Jack tells us how his wife has changed, that she used to be a wonderful, loving wife and mother, something not currently demonstrated when she enters the story. However, I wished that we could have seen that transition from a wonderful family woman to the agitated, paranoid woman in the novel. Not that I believe Jack is a very unreliable narrator, but he is a man who has been unemployed for 6 months, in a time when being a stay-at-home-dad was not well received. This leads to insecurity on his end, which could lead to him potentially misinterpreting his wife's behavior. If we as the readers had watched his wife's transformation, I believe it would have helped the narrative.
Additionally, the book seemed to reach a high point and stay there for a sizeable amount of time before the story quickly wrapped up in a mere matter of pages. I never felt a real sense of dread or suspense leading to the climax, as there was no clear buildup or high point. This is a similar issue I had with the Crichton novel I read prior.
One last thing: I work with nanomaterials. My whole schtick since I became interested in engineering and chemistry was nanomaterial/nanoparticle synthesis. So the whole nanobots thing just seemed... highly unrealistic? As well as the synthesis process. Therefore, although this work is meant to be speculative sci-fi, it comes across as near fantasy, using the people's fear of the unknown and fear of new technology to create a suspenseful thriller. Except, the science just isn't sound. So for my fellow scientists, especially my nanoengineers, beware that you will have to suspend your disbelief to fully enjoy the novel.
Overall, this was a fun vacation read and presented a compelling and unorthodox antagonist.
As is classic Michael Crichton style, this is a piece of speculative science fiction. We open to story from the perspective of our protagonist, Jack Forman, a biologist turned programmer raising a family in Silicon Valley. Jack is currently unemployed and is a stay-at-home-dad after being let go by his employer. We are then introduced to his wife, Julia, an ambitious executive at a biotechnology startup, focused on the development of molecular engineering to synthesize nanorobots. When we first meet Julia, Jack reflects on how her demeanor has become more aggressive and impatient, with her growing distant from her family due to her long hours at work. After Julia is in a car accident, Jack is approached by his prior employer to work as a consultant on his wife's project. He is flown out to the barren desert of Nevada, where an experiment has gone horribly wrong. The nanobots have escaped the lab, and having been programmed with a machine learning algorithm based on biological systems, they have become a nightmarish threat. These bots can not only self-sustain, but reproduce. And with their built-in ability to problem solve, they are learning how to become better hunters, quickly. THey have become predators, and we are the prey.
In typical Crichton fashion, this story is filled with twists and turns, one can never quite tell who is on what side, creating a sense of uneasiness in each character interaction. While this book was a great page turner, and I did in fact greatly enjoy it, it was not perfect. As mentioned before, Jack tells us how his wife has changed, that she used to be a wonderful, loving wife and mother, something not currently demonstrated when she enters the story. However, I wished that we could have seen that transition from a wonderful family woman to the agitated, paranoid woman in the novel. Not that I believe Jack is a very unreliable narrator, but he is a man who has been unemployed for 6 months, in a time when being a stay-at-home-dad was not well received. This leads to insecurity on his end, which could lead to him potentially misinterpreting his wife's behavior. If we as the readers had watched his wife's transformation, I believe it would have helped the narrative.
Additionally, the book seemed to reach a high point and stay there for a sizeable amount of time before the story quickly wrapped up in a mere matter of pages. I never felt a real sense of dread or suspense leading to the climax, as there was no clear buildup or high point. This is a similar issue I had with the Crichton novel I read prior.
One last thing: I work with nanomaterials. My whole schtick since I became interested in engineering and chemistry was nanomaterial/nanoparticle synthesis. So the whole nanobots thing just seemed... highly unrealistic? As well as the synthesis process. Therefore, although this work is meant to be speculative sci-fi, it comes across as near fantasy, using the people's fear of the unknown and fear of new technology to create a suspenseful thriller. Except, the science just isn't sound. So for my fellow scientists, especially my nanoengineers, beware that you will have to suspend your disbelief to fully enjoy the novel.
Overall, this was a fun vacation read and presented a compelling and unorthodox antagonist.
October 28, 2014
Artificial intelligence morphing into artificial life, threatening life as we know it. Nano-bots and their hive mentality, swarming and learning. Sounds like a winner, but it didn't even reach mediocre for me. The uber-thin characterizations capped it. I remember liking this author's Jurassic Park and The Andromeda Strain, but this one didn't do much for me.
January 28, 2019
دوستانِ گرانقدر، داستان در موردِ مردی به نامِ <جک فورمن> است که برنامه نویس است و مسئولِ امنیتِ شبکه در شرکتی مطرح میباشد... سه فرزند دارد، یکی نوزادِ دختر و دیگری پسری 8 ساله و دختری 14 ساله و زنی به نامِ <جولیا> دارد
و داستان در این کتاب از زبانِ خودِ <جک> بیان میشود
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مدیر شرکت و یکی دو نفر از سهام داران، از شرکت دزدی کرده و اطلاعاتِ نرم افزارها را به صورتِ پنهانی به شرکتهایِ آسیایی میفروشند... <جک> از این موضوع آگاه میشود و بر خلافِ توصیهٔ وکیلش، این موضوع را با یکی از اعضایِ هئیت مدیره در میان میگذارد، و فردایِ آن روز او را از کار برکنار میکنند و در سطحِ شهر نیز آمارِ او را خراب کرده، به نحوی که دیگر هیچ شرکتی حاضر به استخدامِ او نمیباشد
زنِ او جولیا، شاغل است و شبها دیر به خانه می آید و مسئولیتِ نگهداریِ بچه ها بر عهدهٔ جک میباشد و او دیگر به خانه داری عادت کرده است
ولی سرکوفت هایِ جولیا و بهانه تراشی هایِ او آزار دهنده است و جک را به این فکر می اندازد که گویا مردِ دیگری در زندگی آنها وارد شده و جولیا قلب و ذهنش جایِ دیگری میباشد
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امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ آشنایی با این کتاب، کافی و مفید بوده باشه
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
و داستان در این کتاب از زبانِ خودِ <جک> بیان میشود
---------------------------------------------
مدیر شرکت و یکی دو نفر از سهام داران، از شرکت دزدی کرده و اطلاعاتِ نرم افزارها را به صورتِ پنهانی به شرکتهایِ آسیایی میفروشند... <جک> از این موضوع آگاه میشود و بر خلافِ توصیهٔ وکیلش، این موضوع را با یکی از اعضایِ هئیت مدیره در میان میگذارد، و فردایِ آن روز او را از کار برکنار میکنند و در سطحِ شهر نیز آمارِ او را خراب کرده، به نحوی که دیگر هیچ شرکتی حاضر به استخدامِ او نمیباشد
زنِ او جولیا، شاغل است و شبها دیر به خانه می آید و مسئولیتِ نگهداریِ بچه ها بر عهدهٔ جک میباشد و او دیگر به خانه داری عادت کرده است
ولی سرکوفت هایِ جولیا و بهانه تراشی هایِ او آزار دهنده است و جک را به این فکر می اندازد که گویا مردِ دیگری در زندگی آنها وارد شده و جولیا قلب و ذهنش جایِ دیگری میباشد
---------------------------------------------
امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ آشنایی با این کتاب، کافی و مفید بوده باشه
<پیروز باشید و ایرانی>
July 31, 2025
4.0 Stars
This was a page-turning sci-fi thriller that I enjoyed even though it was arguably quite predictable. I was admittedly just as interested in the domestic drama as the science fiction situation. The story became more action packed in the second half and I personally wished there had been a heavier focus on the hard science.
This was a page-turning sci-fi thriller that I enjoyed even though it was arguably quite predictable. I was admittedly just as interested in the domestic drama as the science fiction situation. The story became more action packed in the second half and I personally wished there had been a heavier focus on the hard science.
May 24, 2022
This book was written twenty years ago yet it still pertains to a possible future. The characters drew me in to a slowly unfolding plot. If you enjoy science mixed with thrillers, there's a good chance you'll enjoy this book. I did.
July 11, 2015
DNF at page 175/369.
Dear book,
It's me, not you. I was really into you in the beginning, but you lost me when you got too technical. That's when I lost my interest in you. There was no coming back from that. While I found your premise fascinating and terrifying at the beginning, after you lost me, the premise wasn't interesting to me anymore. This is purely me, and is not your fault. You see, I have an addiction to the Kate Daniels series. I was spending time with you while waiting for the buddy reread I'm doing of Kate Daniels to be ready for the next book. You didn't stand a chance. When I'm in KD mode, not much lives up to par.
I'm sorry for the one star rating I'm giving you. I debated not rating you at all. However, I always rate DNFs with one star, so I would've hurt the rest of the shelf's feelings if I didn't. I'm really sorry. Maybe one day we can resume our relationship.
Dear book,
It's me, not you. I was really into you in the beginning, but you lost me when you got too technical. That's when I lost my interest in you. There was no coming back from that. While I found your premise fascinating and terrifying at the beginning, after you lost me, the premise wasn't interesting to me anymore. This is purely me, and is not your fault. You see, I have an addiction to the Kate Daniels series. I was spending time with you while waiting for the buddy reread I'm doing of Kate Daniels to be ready for the next book. You didn't stand a chance. When I'm in KD mode, not much lives up to par.
I'm sorry for the one star rating I'm giving you. I debated not rating you at all. However, I always rate DNFs with one star, so I would've hurt the rest of the shelf's feelings if I didn't. I'm really sorry. Maybe one day we can resume our relationship.
October 18, 2016
Re-read after thirteen years. Still, it was an entertaining read. A techno-thriller, but I enjoyed reading the SF part of it: a bit of Biotechnology, added with Nanotechnology & Self-evolving Artificial Distributed Intelligence. Good suspense and pace. The theme of the book is not yet dated. The book's message, to us humankind, is about the dangers of inventions when Biotech and Nanotech converges with Computer Programming and AI.
Suggested reading, at least once. :)
Suggested reading, at least once. :)
October 3, 2021
তিন ছেলে মেয়ে নিয়ে জ্যাক ফোরম্যান আর জুলিয়া ফোরম্যান এর পরিবার ভালই চলছিল। পেশাগত জীবনে দুজনেই ভালো অবস্থানে। এর মাঝে হঠাৎ করেই বেকারত্বের মধ্যে পড়ে জ্যাক ফোরম্যান, পরিবারের জন্য অতিরিক্ত খাটতে থাকে জুলিয়া। মাসের পর মাস চাকরি ছাড়া জ্যাক বাচ্চাদের দেখাশোনা করতে থাকে। এখানেই পারিবারিক অশান্তির শুরু।
এর মাঝে নেভাডা মরুভূমিতে এক ল্যাব এ তৈরি হচ্ছিল ন্যানোপারটিকল বা মাইক্রোবটস। যেগুলো ক্যামেরা হিসেবে কাজ করে মানুষের শরীরের ভিতরে মেডিকেল ইমেজিং করবে। তার মাঝে কিছু পারটিকল হঠাৎ ল্যাবের নিরাপদ পরিবেশ থেকে বাইরে মুক্ত হয়ে পড়ে। সবচেয়ে বড় সমস্যা এই পারটিকলগুলোর মধ্যে আরটিফিশিয়াল ইন্টেলিজেন্স আছে। তারা পরিবেশ থেকে শিখতে পারে, নতুন পারটিকল তৈরি করতে পারে, নিজেদেরকে নতুন বিপদে খাপ খাওয়াতে পারে। সব মিলিয়ে তাদেরকে জীবিত বলা যায়, যাদেরকে ধ্বংস করা একেবারেই অসম্ভব। এর চেয়েও বড় সমস্যা তাদের মধ্যে প্রোগ্রাম করা আছে শিকারি-শিকার এর আচরণ। এখানে শিকার হল মানুষ।
রিভিউঃ
টেকনোথ্রিলারে মাইকেল ক্রাইটনের প্রতিভা যে অতুলনীয় এটা জুরাসিক পার্ক পড়েই বুঝা যায়, এটা পড়ে একেবারে বিপরীতধর্মী টেকনোথ্রিলারেও যে কম যান নাই সেটা বুঝলাম। বিপরীতধর্মী বললাম কারণ, জুরাসিক পার্ক ভয়ংকর পর্যায়ের একশনধর্মী টেকনোথ্রিলার। এটাতেও প্রচুর একশন আছে,থ্রিল আছে, কিন্তু সেটা প্রথম দুইশো পৃষ্ঠার পর।
বইয়ের প্রথম দুইশো পৃষ্ঠায় গল্প বলতে পারিবারিক,পেশাগত জীবনের দ্বন্দ্ব পাওয়া যাবে। আর সাথে আছে কম্পিউটার সাইন্স নিয়ে অতিরিক্ত লেভেলের প্যাশন/ আঁতলামির পরিচয়(সম্পূর্ণ এনজয় করেছি)। আতলামি বললাম কারণ বলি। মুভি, সিরিজ দেখে এই সম্পর্কিত সর্বোচ্চ সিন আমরা যা দেখি অনেকগুলো স্ক্রিনে নাম্বার উঠানামা করে আর নাসার সিস্টেম হ্যাক হয়ে যায়। এই বইতে সেগুলা কিছু নাই। যেটার এক্সেস নাই তো নাই ই, কেউ হ্যাক ও করে নাই, করার সময় ও নাই, প্রাণ নিয়ে পালাতে হবে। কিন্তু প্রথম দুইশো পাতায় প্রোগ্রামিং থেকে শুরু করে, আরটিফিশিয়াল ইন্টেলিজেন্স, ডিস্ট্রিবিউটেড সিস্টেম সব কিছুর কোর আইডিয়া নিয়ে হাল্কার উপর ঝাপসা কথাবার্তা আছে। এটা আমার জীবনে পড়া প্রথম গল্পের বই যেখানে লেখক এল্গোরিদম লিখে দিয়েছে। 🥴
এরপরের ৩০০ পাতায় থ্রিল, ট্রমা, সাইন্স ফিকশন সব শুরু হয়। সাথে আছে জেনেটিক ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং আর বায়োটেকনোলজি।
অনেক তথ্য থাকলেও একটুই বোরড হই নাই। সবচেয়ে ভালো ছিল ধাপে ধাপে লজিক বিল্ডাপ করা। এমন কোন সাইন্স ফিকশন না যে হুট করে বিশাল কোন পরিবর্তন এর উল্লেখ করে দিল। প্রতিটা বিষয়ের ব্যখ্যা দিয়ে একটু একটু করে পাঠকের সামনে খোলশা করা হয়েছে সব। বইয়ের প্রথম থেকে শেষ পর্যন্ত সবটুকু আমার ভালো লেগেছে। মাইকেল ক্রাইটনের সৃজনশীলতার প্রতি শ্রদ্ধাবোধ আরো বেড়ে গিয়েছে।
এখন প্রশ্ন - বইটা কি আমি সবাইকে রিকমেন্ড করবো?
উত্তর- না। আপনি যদি থ্রিলার শুনে বা সাইন্স ফিকশন শুনে একদম সাথে সাথে থ্রিলের জগতে ঝাঁপিয়ে পড়তে চান তাহলে বইটা আপনার জন্য না।
ধৈর্য্য ধরে টেকনোলজির কচকচানি একটা একটা করে পড়ে, বুঝে কিছুটা ভ���িষ্যৎ অনুমান করে, আনন্দ নিয়ে পরের ধাপে গেলে অনেক ভালো লাগবে। নাহলে অর্ধেক এর বেশি আনন্দ পাবেন না বইতে।
এর মাঝে নেভাডা মরুভূমিতে এক ল্যাব এ তৈরি হচ্ছিল ন্যানোপারটিকল বা মাইক্রোবটস। যেগুলো ক্যামেরা হিসেবে কাজ করে মানুষের শরীরের ভিতরে মেডিকেল ইমেজিং করবে। তার মাঝে কিছু পারটিকল হঠাৎ ল্যাবের নিরাপদ পরিবেশ থেকে বাইরে মুক্ত হয়ে পড়ে। সবচেয়ে বড় সমস্যা এই পারটিকলগুলোর মধ্যে আরটিফিশিয়াল ইন্টেলিজেন্স আছে। তারা পরিবেশ থেকে শিখতে পারে, নতুন পারটিকল তৈরি করতে পারে, নিজেদেরকে নতুন বিপদে খাপ খাওয়াতে পারে। সব মিলিয়ে তাদেরকে জীবিত বলা যায়, যাদেরকে ধ্বংস করা একেবারেই অসম্ভব। এর চেয়েও বড় সমস্যা তাদের মধ্যে প্রোগ্রাম করা আছে শিকারি-শিকার এর আচরণ। এখানে শিকার হল মানুষ।
রিভিউঃ
টেকনোথ্রিলারে মাইকেল ক্রাইটনের প্রতিভা যে অতুলনীয় এটা জুরাসিক পার্ক পড়েই বুঝা যায়, এটা পড়ে একেবারে বিপরীতধর্মী টেকনোথ্রিলারেও যে কম যান নাই সেটা বুঝলাম। বিপরীতধর্মী বললাম কারণ, জুরাসিক পার্ক ভয়ংকর পর্যায়ের একশনধর্মী টেকনোথ্রিলার। এটাতেও প্রচুর একশন আছে,থ্রিল আছে, কিন্তু সেটা প্রথম দুইশো পৃষ্ঠার পর।
বইয়ের প্রথম দুইশো পৃষ্ঠায় গল্প বলতে পারিবারিক,পেশাগত জীবনের দ্বন্দ্ব পাওয়া যাবে। আর সাথে আছে কম্পিউটার সাইন্স নিয়ে অতিরিক্ত লেভেলের প্যাশন/ আঁতলামির পরিচয়(সম্পূর্ণ এনজয় করেছি)। আতলামি বললাম কারণ বলি। মুভি, সিরিজ দেখে এই সম্পর্কিত সর্বোচ্চ সিন আমরা যা দেখি অনেকগুলো স্ক্রিনে নাম্বার উঠানামা করে আর নাসার সিস্টেম হ্যাক হয়ে যায়। এই বইতে সেগুলা কিছু নাই। যেটার এক্সেস নাই তো নাই ই, কেউ হ্যাক ও করে নাই, করার সময় ও নাই, প্রাণ নিয়ে পালাতে হবে। কিন্তু প্রথম দুইশো পাতায় প্রোগ্রামিং থেকে শুরু করে, আরটিফিশিয়াল ইন্টেলিজেন্স, ডিস্ট্রিবিউটেড সিস্টেম সব কিছুর কোর আইডিয়া নিয়ে হাল্কার উপর ঝাপসা কথাবার্তা আছে। এটা আমার জীবনে পড়া প্রথম গল্পের বই যেখানে লেখক এল্গোরিদম লিখে দিয়েছে। 🥴
এরপরের ৩০০ পাতায় থ্রিল, ট্রমা, সাইন্স ফিকশন সব শুরু হয়। সাথে আছে জেনেটিক ইঞ্জিনিয়ারিং আর বায়োটেকনোলজি।
অনেক তথ্য থাকলেও একটুই বোরড হই নাই। সবচেয়ে ভালো ছিল ধাপে ধাপে লজিক বিল্ডাপ করা। এমন কোন সাইন্স ফিকশন না যে হুট করে বিশাল কোন পরিবর্তন এর উল্লেখ করে দিল। প্রতিটা বিষয়ের ব্যখ্যা দিয়ে একটু একটু করে পাঠকের সামনে খোলশা করা হয়েছে সব। বইয়ের প্রথম থেকে শেষ পর্যন্ত সবটুকু আমার ভালো লেগেছে। মাইকেল ক্রাইটনের সৃজনশীলতার প্রতি শ্রদ্ধাবোধ আরো বেড়ে গিয়েছে।
এখন প্রশ্ন - বইটা কি আমি সবাইকে রিকমেন্ড করবো?
উত্তর- না। আপনি যদি থ্রিলার শুনে বা সাইন্স ফিকশন শুনে একদম সাথে সাথে থ্রিলের জগতে ঝাঁপিয়ে পড়তে চান তাহলে বইটা আপনার জন্য না।
ধৈর্য্য ধরে টেকনোলজির কচকচানি একটা একটা করে পড়ে, বুঝে কিছুটা ভ���িষ্যৎ অনুমান করে, আনন্দ নিয়ে পরের ধাপে গেলে অনেক ভালো লাগবে। নাহলে অর্ধেক এর বেশি আনন্দ পাবেন না বইতে।
September 10, 2017
I had heard about Prey since a few years, but got round to reading it only a few days back.
The story is very interesting. A technology experiment - combining bio and nano tech brings out unexpected results (quite expectedly!) and a crisis of sorts.
Jack is a person who has lost his job. His wife Julia works in a senior position at a company called Xymos. The company is reportedly on the verge of making a major breakthrough - nano miniature cameras which can be used for a wide range of purposes. Jack takes care of the kids and despite his best efforts finds it difficult to get a job, especially as his exit from the previous company had issues - though for no fault of his.
Jack finds himself drawn to issues at Xymos - to rein in organisms which have gone out of control. There is tragedy, quite a bit of it and the book has good pace throughout.
The books also brings out the dangers of technology - if we are not careful with it. Overall a good science fiction read.
The story is very interesting. A technology experiment - combining bio and nano tech brings out unexpected results (quite expectedly!) and a crisis of sorts.
Jack is a person who has lost his job. His wife Julia works in a senior position at a company called Xymos. The company is reportedly on the verge of making a major breakthrough - nano miniature cameras which can be used for a wide range of purposes. Jack takes care of the kids and despite his best efforts finds it difficult to get a job, especially as his exit from the previous company had issues - though for no fault of his.
Jack finds himself drawn to issues at Xymos - to rein in organisms which have gone out of control. There is tragedy, quite a bit of it and the book has good pace throughout.
The books also brings out the dangers of technology - if we are not careful with it. Overall a good science fiction read.
January 12, 2023
3.5 stars
You know how there are low budget B-movies you can like far more than big budget films, even though you know they are low budget B-movies? That's how I feel about Prey - it's a damn fine B-movie.
In its essence, the story is about a big, scary monster preying on people.
It could be any monster... aliens, vampires, zombies, orks, mutant octopus, Godzilla, the Creature from the Black Lagoon...Crichton just happened to make it be military grade nanotech swarms. Doesn't change a thing about the plot nor the predictable outcome, just makes it a technological thriller not a Creature Feature.
That's not a fault, btw. The frosting is often as enjoyable as the cake and I happen to like tech thriller frosting.
I won't claim to have understood all the science, though. If it is legit or largely theoretical, I couldn't say. But it is an enjoyable ride that kept me interested, at least in the 6 CD reduced-fat version I listened to. And for that, it gets a solid 3 stars rounded up.
You know how there are low budget B-movies you can like far more than big budget films, even though you know they are low budget B-movies? That's how I feel about Prey - it's a damn fine B-movie.
In its essence, the story is about a big, scary monster preying on people.
It could be any monster... aliens, vampires, zombies, orks, mutant octopus, Godzilla, the Creature from the Black Lagoon...Crichton just happened to make it be military grade nanotech swarms. Doesn't change a thing about the plot nor the predictable outcome, just makes it a technological thriller not a Creature Feature.
That's not a fault, btw. The frosting is often as enjoyable as the cake and I happen to like tech thriller frosting.
I won't claim to have understood all the science, though. If it is legit or largely theoretical, I couldn't say. But it is an enjoyable ride that kept me interested, at least in the 6 CD reduced-fat version I listened to. And for that, it gets a solid 3 stars rounded up.
August 17, 2016
It was always going to be asking too much to go 3 for 3 (5 star ratings for both Jurassic Park and Timeline). This was still a fairly entertaining book. I think the science was there, for some reason Crichton fails to add in the element of horror or fear. This results in a big 'So, what?' factor.
Still a good book, but read Timeline or Jurassic Park first
Timeline
Jurassic Park
Still a good book, but read Timeline or Jurassic Park first
Timeline
Jurassic Park
March 13, 2017
I chose this book for my science project and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. I usually do not enjoy science books but I found this one very exciting and interesting. I would recommend it to all looking for a good science book to read.
January 1, 2012
I used to love Crichton. I got on a kick in high school where I read Jurassic Park, Terminal Man, Andromeda Strain, and Congo, and I liked them all. The stories and characters were overused stereotypes, but I always felt like I learned something because Crichton did such thorough research.
The last 2 I tried to read were Timeline and Prey. I couldn't even finish either one. The science was SOOO bad. I don't know if I've just gotten more sophisticated, or if he's jumped the shark, but I can't imagine trying to read another one of his books again.
The last 2 I tried to read were Timeline and Prey. I couldn't even finish either one. The science was SOOO bad. I don't know if I've just gotten more sophisticated, or if he's jumped the shark, but I can't imagine trying to read another one of his books again.
April 30, 2019
My second (and last for a while) thriller by Michael Crichton.
What I learned:
- Keep your hands off of semi-intelligent nanoparticles, especially when they were programmed with a modified predator-prey-algorithm, unless you want to erase humanity in which case it’s an efficient method.
- Authors should not write program code and include it in their novels. Never. There are two small snippets here and both are utter rubbish and doesn’t make sense at all (that usually applies to film makers too, with the honorable exception of Ex Machina)
- Use thermite to fight termites (or similar creatures). Yes, I got the pun, Mr. Crichton.
What I learned:
- Keep your hands off of semi-intelligent nanoparticles, especially when they were programmed with a modified predator-prey-algorithm, unless you want to erase humanity in which case it’s an efficient method.
- Authors should not write program code and include it in their novels. Never. There are two small snippets here and both are utter rubbish and doesn’t make sense at all (that usually applies to film makers too, with the honorable exception of Ex Machina)
- Use thermite to fight termites (or similar creatures). Yes, I got the pun, Mr. Crichton.
November 11, 2022
Ein grandioses Buch, absolut spannend und erschreckend aktuell nicht nur wegen der angesprochene Nanotechnologie, sondern eher der Rücksichtslosigkeit, mit der Forschung voran getrieben wird. Das darüber die Büchse der Pandora geöffnet wird ist belanglos.
Wirtschaftsinteressen haben absoluten Vorrang oder wurden hier die Wissenschaftler bereits von ganz anderer Seite korrumpiert?
Wirtschaftsinteressen haben absoluten Vorrang oder wurden hier die Wissenschaftler bereits von ganz anderer Seite korrumpiert?
November 7, 2021
The most terrifying thing about this book might not be the killer robots, but instead the terrible marriage thats written in excruciating detail.
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