State of Fear
Michael Crichton
(Reviewer - Narayan Radhakrishnan)
2004 HarperCollins
ISBN: 0066214130

Fear of global warming is manipulated in a sinister conspiracy.. From the streets of Paris, to the glaciers of Antarctica to the exotic & dangerous Solomon Islands, get ready for a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear.

Sr. Associate Reviewer Narayan Radhakrishnan writes:

Michael Crichton is an author who never ceases to amaze. It is real experience reading & re-reading the author’s works. His research, plot setting & fiction rooted in reality, makes it hard -- even for a discerning reader -- to point out where the facts end & the fiction comes into play.

Be it cloning dinosaurs (Jurassic Park,, The Lost World); plausibility of time travel (Sphere & Timeline), machines going awry (Westworld), & more recently the hazards of nano technology (Prey), the author’s impeccable & gripping narrative style keeps one glued to the pages. So it was with great expectations that I opened my copy of State Of Fear, & needless to say, I was glued.

This time around Michael Crichton delivers a techno-political thriller based on our fears of global warming. Everyone has heard about global warming, everyone says that the ice poles are melting, the sudden changes in climatic conditions will prove disastrous & in short -– the end of the world is not far away. So how far are these ‘facts’ true? Is the end of the world as near as ‘they’ say it is? Does repetition make things come true? Crichton, through State Of Fear, tackles these issues.

With numerous scientific references & graphic images, he tells us that fears of global warming are misplaced. In fact the Antarctic ice is growing thicker, & there has not been any major change in climatic/environmental conditions over the past 1000 years or so. Through the protagonist lawyer Peter Evans, an ordinary layman who feared the impending threat of global warming, Crichton presents a hard-hitting tale of fear without reason.

Once Evans understands that his fears are groundless, he begins to question why such a misconception exists. Through scientist John Kenner, Evans learns the reason: a global conspiracy of the highest order, & subtle in nature - ‘the state of fear’. Every nation, down the centuries, has needed its citizens to be cautious & fearful, to preserve & protect the nation-state system. Supposedly, the absence of fear would lead to ‘anarchy’.

Until the late '80s the Cold War & “Star Wars” kept both Russians & the West in a constant state of fear. The end of the Cold War meant there was nothing for people to be afraid of -- it was here that nation-states focused their propaganda towards rousing fears of global warming, ozone depletion, ice pole melting, etc. So much so that citizens all over the world transmuted their fear, making it easier for the politically powerful to rule & dictate. What follows is a stunning tale, culminating in an exciting & traditional ‘Crichton-ish’ finish.

Enjoyed the book -- bound to become a bestseller -- possibly the best thriller of the year.
(04/10/05)

Narayan
2005©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