Book Review - Sphere by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton is well-known for writing all types of books; from medical thrillers, to science fiction, to stories with historical plots.  Crichton’s book Sphere, written over twenty years ago in 1987, fits into the science fiction category with military and biology mixed into the story.  The author uses his Harvard medical degree and knowledge of biology well in this story to enhance the plot and make the book more interesting. 

This story revolves around a psychologist named Norman Johnson.  In Johnson’s past, he wrote a document for the government stating what would happen if aliens were to visit Earth.  He was asked to state information such as what the aliens might look like, and how humans would go about communicating with the aliens.  Johnson is called one day by the Navy to visit a classified spot in the Pacific Ocean which the military and government is very interested in. 

The Navy has found a mysterious spacecraft thousands of feet under the surface of the ocean which is covered in over 30 feet of debris and sediment.  The military does not know how it got there, and calls on Johnson and several others to examine the spacecraft.  The others called in to investigate were a mathematician named Harry Adams, a biologist named Beth Halpern, and an astrophysicist named Ted Fielding.  All of the characters were chosen for their areas of expertise and due to the fact that in Johnson’s report, he stated one person from all of these professions should be used to investigate a possible alien visit so they can analyze the aliens in numerous ways. 

Before the crew of civilian investigators arrived to study the spacecraft, the Navy set up a habitat deep in the ocean to allow people to stay below the surface for extended periods of time.  Norman, Harry, Beth, and Ted all decide that they should enter the spacecraft immediately, which they do without any difficulty.  What they find is beyond their comprehension; the spacecraft appears to be made by humans and from the future.  In addition, there is a large metallic sphere inside the spacecraft which has tribal graphics on it and a door which cannot be opened by conventional means. 

Harry eventually returns to the vessel and enters the sphere on his own.  He returns to the habitat with a massive headache and need for sleep, not remembering what occurred in the sphere.  While he is conscious, random coded messages start to appear in the habitat’s digital monitors which are translated by the other members.  An entity named “Jerry” communicates with the civilian team and claims to be almighty.  Jerry quickly proves to be unable to communicate clearly and to have a temper. 

Not only does Jerry have a temper, but he has the ability to create organisms of enormous size which constantly attack the habitat.  A large squid attacks the Navy’s habitat three times, each time killing one of the team’s members or damaging to the point where it is deadly for the humans to remain there.  Each time the squid attacks the habitat, a different sector of the structure floods, catches on fire, or loses the ability to maintain the proper oxygen level. 

Knowing that the humans are in great danger of being killed if they cannot stop the dangerous squid, Norman uses his psychology training to figure out what is happening in and around the spacecraft.  Eventually he figures out that Harry has gained the ability to allow his subconscious thought to be manifested into reality after entering the sphere.  Norman’s fear and thinking of squid attacking the habitat actually created a squid which attacked the habitat.  It was also Harry thinking about shrimp and other sea life that caused them to appear, glowing, outside the habitat at various times in the book.  Norman also figures out that the danger is present only when Harry is conscious.  Harry can only think about the squid attacking while he is awake and alert. 

Norman and Beth, the only two humans alive at this point, decide that they must sedate Harry so he can not think any more dangerous thoughts.  They rummage through an on-board first aid kit and find various drugs which can be used in emergency situations to put a human to sleep for surgery.  Norman and Beth give Harry enough drugs to keep him asleep for nearly eight hours so they can figure out how to get back to the surface and leave the danger behind.  It is at this point, while talking to Beth that Norman realizes she seems distant and has a strange look in her eyes.  Norman can see that at some point Beth has also entered the sphere, making her just as dangerous as Harry.

Beth tells Norman that she is innocent though and that Norman is the problem.  Beth plants explosives all around the habitat while thinking irrationally and tells Norman that she is only doing it as a safety precaution.  However, Norman knows better and must stop her.  He enters the sphere and gains the power to manifest his thoughts into reality.  He begins arguing with Beth and enters a power struggle with their newly acquired powers, with Beth having an advantage over Norman.  However, as they are struggling, Harry re-enters the picture after awaking from sedation, and knocks out Beth so she cannot hurt anyone. 

At this point, knowing that Beth and Harry are still dangerous and time is running short before the spacecraft and habitat explode due to Beth’s explosives, Norman enters the escape submarine and quickly ascends toward the ocean’s surface.  He figured that Harry and Beth are a lost-cause and he should save himself while he can.  While on his way up, Beth begins to communicate with Norman and tells him that he is not a bad person, and that he is not the kind of person to abandon two people he really cares about.  With a sudden feeling of guilt, Norman stops his ascent and returns to the ocean floor.  He races to get Harry and Beth onto the small submarine and turns the submarine’s ascent rate on high. 

While ascending to the surface, the habitat, spacecraft, and sphere all explode with massive force, causing the submarine to stumble and accelerate more quickly towards the surface.  The three people eventually reach the surface and look at all of the military ships around them before falling into unconsciousness.  They later awaken and know that the Navy will soon be questioning them extensively about the spacecraft and sphere.  Knowing that the spacecraft has enormous power within it and that whatever the three people tell the Navy could accelerate their research to build the dangerous vessel, they decided to use their powers to forget their powers.  Norman, Beth, and Harry all think about a believable story to tell the Navy and government, and think about not having the powers anymore.  They successfully forget their manifestation powers and convince the Navy to believe their false story. 

Overall, Crichton’s book Sphere is an interesting read with good factual background.  Crichton’s knowledge of biology and science and his imagination are all used well to write this book.  The main idea behind the book that a ship from the future traveled through a black hole into the past and became stuck at the bottom of the ocean is interesting and unique.  Add mind-control, oversized sea-life, military, and futuristic technology, and you have a best-selling, one-of-a-kind novel.  This book is rated 4.5 out of 5.