Prey: A Novel
 Michael Crichton
 (Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
 2002 HarperCollins
 ISBN: 0066214122

In the nascent field of nanotechnology, the bad guys are so small as to be invisible to the naked eye.

Sr. Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

In Prey, Michael Crichton's first thriller in three years, he takes us into the realms of nano technology & artificial distributed intelligence.

Some years before, while reviewing a Crichton novel, a reviewer had written, “Crichton--born to frighten”--& that, my friends, was a gross understatement. Michael Crichton's latest is one that has taught me the real meaning of the word--“spine-chilling.” Crichton delivers a page turning suspense punch that combines the magic of Jurassic Park, the terror of Sphere & the pristine suspense of Andromeda Strain.

Over the years I have made it a point to collect & read each Crichton novel--you never can predict this author, the plot setting & story concepts are as diverse from each other as can possibly be--from reverse sexual harassment (Disclosure) to time travel (Timeline), & from Dinosaur clashes (Jurassic Park) to plane crashes (Airframe.) The amount of research the author puts into each book is truly admirable. So much so that the line between fact & fiction disappears & the story is totally rooted in reality.

Jack Forman, is an out of job scientist & now spends the time looking after the household, while his wife, Julia, is a top executive at Xymos, a company engaged in molecular manufacturing & nano-technology. (What is nano technology, well find out the way I did, READ THE BOOK). Jack is worried about Julia's constant mood changes, but feels it might be due to job stress.

Co-incidentally Jack lands a job at Xymos & he is called to work on a problem there. An experiment involving micro-robots has gone wrong & a swarm of nano particles is on the loose in the Nevada Desert--it is intelligent, & getting more powerful by the minute. It is also reproducing at a fast rate-& practically it is ALIVE--a powerful techno predator. What follows is tense suspense & a race against time before the micro-robots turn fatally dangerous to the whole of well, mankind itself...

A great read from the golden star among modern suspense writers.
(06/01/03)

Narayan
2003©Narayan Radhakrishnan
A RebeccasReads.Com Sr. Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
I am a 26 years old lawyer practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. Along with my legal practice, I have finished post-graduate studies for both Business Law & Human Rights. I am a self proclaimed numero-uno legal thriller lover & am the proud owner of all of Grisham's & Turow's novels. I enjoy John Mortimer's Rumpole & relish an occasional Martini & a rare Scot(ch)t-oline with a Patterson on the side.

My work A FICTION OF LAW is now about 500 pages in length & features 500 lawyer authors & 2000 legal thrillers covering a 300 year period - inclusive of entries from the USA, UK, Asia, Europe, China, Middle East etc. Still in search of a publisher.
www.keralatourism.org